The First Flakes of the Season Are Here

With September literally knocking on the door, a handful of North American ski resorts have already gotten a preview of winter, with snow dusting their highest elevations over the weekend. From Washington to the Canadian Rockies, the first flakes of the 2026-’27 ski season have start to fall—and yes, we’re already paying attention.

Don’t start waxing your skis just yet. Most of this snow will disappear as temperatures climb back above freezing, and honestly, a late-August dusting says little about what the coming winter will actually bring. But after a long off season, we’ll happily take any excuse to start thinking about turns.

Banff Sunshine Village, Alb.

Banff Sunshine got its first real taste of winter on Sunday, with snow falling across the resort’s high elevations and producing some particularly good-looking webcam and social-media shots. The resort, which sits high in Banff National Park and reaches nearly 9,000 feet at its summit, is no stranger to summer snow—but there’s something about seeing the mountain turn white in late August that gets skiers’ attention.

Sunshine’s 2026-27 season is still roughly two months away, but the resort’s famously long ski season means it won’t be too long before these same slopes are covered in something a little more substantial.

Crystal Mountain, Wash.

Crystal Mountain appears to have gotten the jump on the Canadian Rockies. Snow arrived in the high alpine over the weekend, dusting terrain around Northway, Mountain Top, Chair 6, and Silver King Peak, the resort’s 7,012-foot summit.

It was enough to stick around and make for some very convincing winter-looking photos—but don’t get too excited. Crystal isn’t scheduled to open for skiing until December. Still, the Washington resort can claim an early-season bragging right: it was the first U.S. destination to see snow for the 2026-’27 season.

Lake Louise, Alb.

Lake Louise also got in on the early-season snow action Sunday, with a dusting showing up on the resort’s upper mountain. Like Sunshine, Lake Louise sits high enough in the Canadian Rockies to occasionally see snow even while summer is still in full swing down in the valleys.

The timing is almost perfect for skiers jonesing for some turns: Lake Louise typically targets an early-November opening, meaning this first dusting is a reminder that ski season really is getting closer—even if there are still plenty of warm days left before the lifts start spinning.

Kicking Horse, B.C.

Kicking Horse wasn’t going to let Alberta have all the fun. The Golden, B.C., resort woke up Sunday to snow in its high alpine, with several centimeters accumulating around the Eagle’s Eye restaurant at roughly 7,700 feet.

“First snow has entered the chat,” the resort reported on its social channels, followed by a reminder that there were still some bike laps to get in. Much of the snow melted as temperatures warmed, but the sight of Kicking Horse’s upper mountain turning white in August is enough to get powder hounds thinking about those steep Purcell Mountain lines.

Panorama Mountain Resort, B.C.

Panorama may have gotten the biggest dose of the weekend’s early winter. The B.C. resort reported a solid dusting of snow Sunday, enough to give the upper mountain a legitimate mid-winter look despite the calendar still reading August.

At nearly 3,000 acres and with more than 4,600 feet of vertical, Panorama is no small ski area—and its first measurable snowfall of the season makes it a worthy addition to this early-season snow roundup. Of course, the same caveat applies: temperatures are expected to climb above freezing, so this first coating isn’t likely to stick around.

But the photos alone are enough to lift our spirits as we head into the dog days of summer.