Why Spring Is A Great Time For Ski Travel

Forbes

23-04-2025

Lake Louise Ski Resort offers stunning views of Banff National Park.
Snow-based recreation, such as skiing or snowboarding, is a tricky one for travelers. Every year, people book their winter ski trips far in advance—months or maybe even half a year—and then cross their fingers that the week they picked will turn up with good conditions. Or, at least, not horrible conditions.
Ultimately, you get what you get, and you have to show up with a good attitude, and be thankful, I guess, for whatever you get. That's easy to say or to write, harder to do in practice, when you've invested significant resources into the trip.
If you're truly a powder chaser, who will only enjoy the most epic of snow conditions, then you're probably planning your ski trips last minute and jet-setting off to wherever the latest storm can be found, and that's living the good life, without question.
But families and casual skiers, who may not have the luxury or desire to chase storms, might benefit from a shift in strategy.
Ski travel in the main winter months of December, January, February, and early March may lead to an epic, week-long powder frenzy. Or, you could show up to variable conditions—perhaps even bad conditions—with temperatures near freezing and the destination crowded, all after paying high-season rates.
But go to a ski town in late-March or early-April, and the vibe shifts. Expectations are lower. Conditions could be bad or variable this time of year, but they also could be pretty good, which is kind of the same hit or miss situation as the other months.
And if the snow is just so-so on your spring visit, it might not be the end of the world. Picture this: Wake up slow, take some runs, have a beer on the mountain, ski with locals (more locals, fewer travelers on the mountain in spring), maybe try out the tubing or snowshoe situation, spend the afternoon walking around a new mountain town in some relatively mild weather.
If this sounds like a relaxing time, then spring skiing could be the vibe for you and your crew. Generally, lodging rates begin to drop later in the ski season in ski towns, so you can save some bucks to boot.
Fun spring ski trips can be made to a wide variety of destinations, both in the States and abroad. But there are several reasons why Canada is amongst the best international options for Americans, some timely and others timeless.
First, the timely. The Canadian Dollar is weak compared to the American Dollar right now, meaning that your trip to Canada could be heavily discounted at the moment—as of this writing, it's about a 25% discount.
In addition to the favorable currency exchange, you also have reduced springtime rates at hotels in spring. It's a good way to enjoy, say, Banff, a place that tends to be pricy.
The mountains hang over the town of Banff in Banff National Park. From town, you can catch a ski shuttle to all three resorts.
There are many ski destinations in Canada, but one stands out for its offerings and easy access. Here, we look at a trip to the iconic Banff National Park and how it shapes up.
Simply put, Banff is a world class wilderness area. The mountain scenery looms above the town, and only gets better the more you roam through the national park. Even if you don't step foot on the slopes, you will not regret being immersed in the mountain landscapes here.
You want it to be a little wintry when hitting the slopes, but the temperatures in Banff during the heart of winter might make you think twice. The average temperatures in December, January, and February are all less than 20 degrees. It's not until April that the average high crosses 40 degrees (47 degrees).
Yes, there's a reason that the ski resorts here have invested in bubble lifts, and that's because they are rather necessary during the prime winter months. If you don't want to bear the freezing temperatures, spring skiing is appealing.
Banff is located about two hours by car from Calgary International Airport (YYC). Upon landing, you can hop on the Banff Airporter Shuttle and get dropped off at your hotel in Banff. Then, from your hotel, you can walk to a ski shuttle stop, where buses from the three ski resorts in Banff will pick you up and drop you off like clockwork. Three mountains, no car—try that somewhere else.
The three mountain resorts are Sunshine Village, Lake Louise, and Norquay, and each offer something a little different. Lake Louise is the largest and offers the most terrain, plus stunning long-distance views; Sunshine has many historic on-mountain lodges and offers prime double-black terrain, such as areas like the Delirium Dive; Norquay offers views of Banff and takes only 7 minutes to reach by bus from downtown Banff on the ski shuttle.
Sunshine Village Ski Resort offers several bubble lifts to help keep out the cold during the frigid winter months in Banff.
Finding a Canadian in Banff is not impossible, but it's harder than you'd think, especially in the ski industry. Due to an interesting regulation, to live in Banff, you must work in Banff National Park (i.e., few digital nomads). And, due to a Commonwealth visa program, the town is chock full of Brits, Aussies, and Kiwis who live and work there. Go hang out at a local dive such as Tommy's Neighbourhood Pub (try the steak sandwich) or one of the craft breweries and you're sure to find an international crowd.
Banff's gets an average of 14 days of snow in April, so there's a chance you end up with some fresh inches.
Though Norquay, the lowest elevated resort of the three, usually closes last half of this month, skiing here in April is nothing new. Lake Louise doesn't close until May 4th, and Sunshine's projected closing date is May 18th. (For comparison, my local ski hill in Colorado closed April 5th).
Imagine the irony if you plan a spring ski trip and end up with loads of fresh snow.
Depending on who you are, the conversion rate and the spring prices will have one of two effects: It will save you money, which you will save, or it will save you money, which you will reinvest in other aspects of the trip.
If you choose the latter, you may decide to rent some premium gear to try out for next season. Banff's Black Tie Ski Rental service will drop off and pick up rentals from your hotel, with a fitting right there in the lobby. Spring prices are pretty reasonable for that level of service—at this moment of writing, the premium ski package, including boots, is only about $60 Canadian ($45 U.S.) per day.