If you’ve spent time in Banff or Kananaskis, you know the mountains don’t do anything halfway. One minute they’re dazzling you with fresh snowfall, the next they’re bone dry and breaking records. And this past winter? It was the latter – a real eyebrow-raiser.
From December through February, Banff saw just 15.8 mm of precipitation – the lowest in 138 years of records, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada’s historical climate data. Locals who rely on the snow – whether it’s for skiing, snowshoeing, or simply filling up the spring rivers – were watching nervously as winter slipped by with barely a whisper of white.
Hydrologists called it early: without a major late-season storm, the mountain snowpack would fall dangerously short. That snowpack isn’t just for show – it’s the Rockies’ water reservoir. It keeps the Bow River flowing, fills our lakes, and sustains wildlife and communities downstream. Without enough snow, the whole system feels the strain – from the trout in the rivers to the paddlers, farmers, and towns that depend on steady flows through the summer months.
Then March Happened
Just as hope was starting to fade, March 2025 rolled in wet – the eighth wettest on record, actually. Banff picked up nearly 53 mm of precipitation, almost double the monthly norm. It was a dramatic shift, but as experts pointed out, not quite enough to undo the damage from three months of dryness.
Across the Rockies, snow water equivalent (SWE) readings stayed stubbornly low. Sites like Marmot Creek, Fortress Mountain, and Sunshine Village – tracked through Alberta River Basins – Snow and River Conditions – all showed deficits. Even the Skoki snow pillow near Lake Louise lagged behind historical averages.
Normally by spring, snow pillows would be bursting with stored water ready to trickle into rivers and lakes. This year, many sat alarmingly empty. At some lower elevations, snow had already vanished weeks earlier than normal. And while parts of British Columbia caught a better break with spring snowstorms, Alberta’s side of the divide stayed drier than usual. This wasn’t just an off year – it was part of a bigger trend.
This Is Climate, Not Just Weather
The concern isn’t just this one dry winter. It’s the pattern. Temperatures in Banff have risen by about 1°c over the past century, with winter temperatures warming even faster. Snowfall is down by roughly 40 percent since the 1970s, and long-studied glaciers, like Peyto Glacier, are retreating at an alarming rate.
Climate scientists warn that the Rockies are a “canary in the coal mine” for broader environmental shifts. What happens up here – shrinking snowpacks, earlier melt, more erratic storm patterns – ripples far downstream, impacting not just mountain towns but Prairie cities and farms that rely on steady water flows.
Even when big storms do arrive, like this March’s, they are entering a climate system that’s already stressed. The water doesn’t stay the same. Snow melts faster. Runoff peaks earlier. Reservoirs become more complicated to manage. And downstream? Farmers, towns, fish, and forests all feel the squeeze.
Climate models also suggest that these extremes – deep droughts followed by sudden flooding – are only going to become more common. Dr. John Pomeroy, one of Canada’s leading snow hydrologists, calls it “a new normal of weather whiplash.”
Why It Matters for Travellers
If you’re visiting Banff or Canmore in the coming seasons, you might notice some of these shifts yourself:
- Ski seasons could be shorter or more reliant on snowmaking.
- Hiking trails might open earlier in the spring, but with a higher wildfire risk.
- Water-based adventures, like paddling or fishing, could feel the pinch from lower water flows.
Lower snowpack can mean lower water levels in our iconic turquoise lakes by midsummer. River rafting trips could be shorter or delayed. Wildlife may shift their movement patterns as habitats change, making sightings more unpredictable.
But here’s the thing: this place is still as breathtaking as ever. The lakes still shimmer. The peaks still tower. The wildlife is still, quite frankly, world-class. We need to travel with a little more awareness and a lot more respect.
Keep an eye on trail reports and weather conditions before you head out. You can check Parks Canada’s Banff weather updates before you drive or hike, and follow real-time snow and river data through Alberta River Basins.
And if you love these mountains as much as we do, consider supporting local conservation efforts, giving back where you can, and – perhaps most importantly – listening to what the land is telling us.
This year, it told us loud and clear: change is here. It is up to all of us who live, work, and travel here to hear that message – and to tread a little more lightly.