I was born and raised in Calgary Alberta and travelled the Rogers pass many times in the winter, It was never closed, but occasionally, we were guided through with pilot cars and the waits were very brief. If I were inteneding to travel there I wouldn't hesitate.
The Rogers Pass will be closed this 7PM Oct 20, 2006 for construction.
In recent years the TransCanada Highway has been closed, usually somewhere between Golden and Revelstoke, once or twice a winter. There was one very unusual occasion a few years ago when the TransCanada Highway (Hwy #1) and the Crowsnest Pass (Hwy #3) were closed simultaneously. In most cases closures have lasted a day or so. Very occasionally closures have lasted a couple of days. If you book a hotel, it's a good idea to ensure that its cancellation policy allows you to cancel any time up to 6.00 p.m. on your planned arrival day.
These closures are only occasional. The problem is that, relatively rare though they are, there is no predicting in advance when they will take place.
Another option is to fly from Vancouver to Calgary, rent a car in Calgary, and drive from Calgary to Banff. The east side of the Rocky Mountains is in something of a rain shadow, and gets less precipitation than the British Columbia Rockies get. The TransCanada Highway between Calgary and Banff is almost never closed. In fact the only time I remember it being closed in 30 years was not for snow but for June floods in 2005.
Closures can and do happen because of avalanche control. A very good website to visit is the following
that updates highway conditions quite regularly. If driving is your option, when you get to Kamloops from Vancouver you could check road conditions ahead(Rogers Pass is about 3.5 to 4 hours drive). If the roads are closed or bad you could drive to Jasper and then down to Banff, this would add some extra time to the trip but is an option. This section of highway is seldom closed unless extreme winter conditions are present.
A warning > BC highways in winter can and are closed at times due to winter conditions. The highways you will be travelling can be extremely dangerous due to snow levels, avalanche control and icy conditions. Having said that we also have very talented road crews that keep the highways in excellent condition as the highways are a major transportation route for transports and cargo.
You will find that driving from Vancouver (will probably be wet/no snow) to Kamloops (dry/little snow) to Rockies (snow/winter conditions). Plan ahead for distances and time spent as you will be travelling long distances.
Enjoy your stay
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