At Kicking Horse 10.4% of winter days with 6 inches or more of snow is middle of the pack for western destinations, while 3% of months with 90 inches or more and 34% of months with 30 inches or less are worse than average. Snow density in the Purcell Mountains is very light. Fresh powder lasts quite a while at Kicking Horse due to vast terrain served by a limited number of lifts.

Accumulation and Preservation

The upper bowls at Kicking Horse are usually open by Christmas but many of the steep chutes off CPR and Redemption Ridges can take more time to fill in. The lower half of the mountain is snowmaking dependent in early season. Despite primary east exposure the cold climate and peak altitude of 8,100 feet preserve snow well on the upper mountain. Even the south sides of CPR and Redemption Ridges often retain winter snow through February and the north facing chutes usually remain chalky up to mid-April closing.