Featured Image: Courtesy of Banff Sunshine Village
The end of August brings a rollercoaster of emotions. Evenings grow crisp and the leaves begin to shudder, dropping in golden flurries as if waiving goodbye to summer's last stand. For most, the transition into September is disappointing. But for us, there's no time of year packed with more excited anticipation.
The beginning of fall also brings Ullr's first gifts: the inaugural snow. While we've heard rumors of dustings from Colorado to California, we're here to claim the first real storm landed this weekend at four Ikon destinations: Crystal Mountain, Washington; Banff Sunshine, Alberta; Panorama Resort and CMH Bobbie Burns, British Columbia. Take a look at the evidence below. Cold air has begun sweeping in, and with the El Nińo hype in full swing, we're about ready to start strutting around the house in ski boots.
Cystal Mountain
Washington
Crystal was the first of these four operations to report snow coming down. "Such a pleasant surprise this morning from 9 side! The King along with higher peaks around the mountain took most of the dusting," the resort posted on social media. While it wasn't much, it was enough to get the juices flowing. After a wet but warm winter 2025/26, the Crystal faithful are certainly ready for a bitter cold and snowy season.
CMH Bobbie Burns
British Columbia
With terrain stretching into the legendary Purcell and Selkirk ranges, CMH Bobbie Burns is no stranger to ample pow. Still, a late summer snow like this is cause for celebration. The webcams showed several inches of snow, with totals even nearing one foot in certain zones. If you've been debating a heli mission for years, this might be your sign.
Banff Sunshine Village
Alberta
Many North American mountains suffered stupifyingly low precipitation totals last year. Banff Sunshine was not one of them. The resort had a historic season and was even able to reopen in the dead of summer for 16 days of riding. It looks like Mother Nature is playing favorites now, with Banff Sunshine clocking several inches of fresh.
Panorama Resort
British Columbia
Usually one of the earlier Canadian resorts to open for business each year, Panorama was showered with a fierce blizzard as its last day of summer operations rolled around. Coincidence? Prophetic? Exciting? All of the above. Stay tuned, as the resort has tentatively set December 4, 2026 as its anticipated opening day.
