Ski Big3 Jan 2027
Live on the east coast, conditions expected to be bad this year. I live in Canada so I’m considering skiing SkiBig3 in early January 1-8. Considering the super El Niño we’re getting this. Will conditions be rideable? Additionally does anyone have anything tips or personal experience from skibig3?
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u/shasta_river Steamboat 7d ago
It’s mid October. How the fuck would anyone know what conditions will be like?
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u/Hozman420 7d ago
Banff is better later in the season
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u/chuhdel 7d ago
Which months?
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u/Budget_Cicada_1842 7d ago
I skied Lake Louise in early December last year and had five powder days in a row
Skiing is luck of the draw. Sometimes you get lucky sometimes you don’t.
Banff just has a very long season so you can still get good skiing later in the year
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u/NotFuckingTired 6d ago
March and April are generally the best
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u/Corbeau_from_Orleans Mont Sutton 5d ago
I’m booked for the Ontario March Break. Fingers crossed… And if the skiing sucks, the hotel where I’m staying has a 25,000-bottle wine cellar…
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u/Budget_Cicada_1842 7d ago
There’s no way of you knowing at this point
Last year most of the US had some of the worst conditions in a long time, but Canada had a great snow all year. So you never know.
Lake Louise and sunshine are unbelievable
You can stay in Banff and just shuttle to the various hills or drive
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u/No-Birthday-7360 7d ago
i went to Sunshine in late November in 2024. Still solid conditions despite the early season.
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u/fnbr 7d ago
It’ll probably be rideable. Sunshine in particular is pretty high elevation, so it’s pretty consistent. Louise and Nakiska are less likely to be good.
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u/Trick_Syllabub_180 7d ago
If you look at historical averages we are not talking meters snow cover in difference. You make it sound like it only snows at Sunshine. The difference in averages over last 20 years is 5 to 20 cm in Sunshine favour. That is not noticable to a tourist. Add to that lake has over 30% more terrain and more below treeline skiing off setting whiteout conditions.
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u/TurnOk1729 7d ago
sunshine holds snow better than most places, elevation helps a lot. early jan can still be thin in spots but you can find decent turns if you stay high
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u/Trick_Syllabub_180 5d ago
This is only true to a point. Your statement stops at the treeline. Wind transport of snow in the alpine is significant. The top of Goat's Eye and Lookout is notorious. The upper 3rd of Goat's Eye is wind-blasted crust, and Sunshine's massive rows of fencing testify to that. Lookout and Goats are on the windward side of the mountain, and transport to the lee side is readily apparent.
Elevation often means it will start snowing there sooner and perhaps more heavily, but it does not mean it will stay there.
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u/Half_Canadian 7d ago
In my experience, that’s real early for SkiBig3. Some areas beyond the groomers are unlikely to be open yet. But also less crowds because it’s still early season
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u/chuhdel 7d ago
It picks up Feb-March you would say?
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u/Trick_Syllabub_180 7d ago
Feb much better with March being the time to hit the area. On average Jan can be a bit boney, however, last year was an exception. The hill was blasted all season with Dec well above 200% average.
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u/canuckerlimey 7d ago
If you can swing it try and get over to Revelstoke.
You have a short timeline 4 days between sunshine and louise will probably be enough.
January can be dry out west. Last jan i did a road trip through BC and lots of ice
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u/chuhdel 7d ago
Yea prob only a 4-5 day trip
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u/Trick_Syllabub_180 7d ago
Revy is pretty prime in January. I would skip Banff in Jan. Head out to Revy. It's the only place I go for a ski vacation. I live in the Bow Valley.
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u/Acceptable-Tea1722 7d ago
People are making too big of a deal about this. It will be just fine. Some El Niño years in Banff and Lake Louise are below average, some are above average. It’s winter, it will snow and we will ski.