I`ll be visiting Banff Park may 21st til 27th. There`s been unusual warm weather all over North America this year..

will this years warmer weather improve my chances to see the nice colors?

You will see nice color regardless. Of course, it is more dependent of the weather of the day you are there. Want to see nice color? Try Peyto Lake.

I last visited the Rockies on the first week of May 2008. I forget if it was a warmer than average winter, but Lake Louise was frozen solid and Lake Minnewanka had just lost its ice. I'd say there's a good chance, but you may still be on the cusp.

Chance = 100%

Moraine Lake Road is closed during the winter and reopens in late May. The exact date varies year by year and depends on the snowpack and avalanche conditions. It's quite possible when you visit it will still be closed. Check with the parks visitor's office closer to your trip for an update on when the road will reopen this year.

Chance = 0%, unless the spring is *much* warmer than usual. Lake Louise doesn't usually thaw until sometime in the first week of June. Peyto Lake is even higher.

Well it's not true that Lake Louise doesn't thaw until the first week of June. We've visited at the end of May and it's open water. It really depends on the year and how early/late spring is. After a very mild winter (such as the one that's just ended), I would say that your chances are not too bad (unless for some reason the spring is very very cold).

Whether a lake melts early or not is also a function of orientation - those that are south-facing tend to melt earlier than those shaded by mountains to their south, even if they are at the same elevation.

The colors of the lakes also change with the sky conditions and time of day.

HI Hans1234. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you are receiving some misinformation here. I live in Lake Louise and I can confidently tell you that it will be very frozen in May. I can't remember the last time the ice melted that early. So, ignore the above information. It would be very, very rare for Lake Louise to be thawed in May. The Moraine Lake road is closed through May and usually opens for business the first weekend in June. While the road may open, the lake is frozen solid. While there may be above average temperatures elsewhere, we have received snow every day for the last 10 days. You'll want to visit Lake Minnewanka in Banff - you can do a boat cruise there. It's located at a much lower elevation and is in Banff. While it does not have the color of the Glacial lakes, it won't be frozen and as such, is a "must-see". Also - try Emerald Lake. Spring usually arrives 2-3 weeks earlier there, even thought it's only 25 minutes from Lake Louise. Your chances are better, that this is the place to find your turquoise lake.

I beg to differ banfflakelouse - I have photos taken on May 26th in 2007 where Lake Louise was completely thawed!! Still snow on the mountains and glacier, but the lake was wet not hard !!! If you look at the poster's original question - the time frame was May 21st to 27th.
Although we don't live in Lake Louise we live close enough to visit often, and it really does depend on the weather in the spring - how warm it gets, and how soon it gets warm, and how long the warmth lasts.

thank you very much,can somebody tell me where the stutfield glacier view point is?

Hi Hans,

I always think Wapta Lake is a really pretty color for a quick stop. It's about 10 miles west of Lake Louise, right on the highway across from the Great Divide Hotel ( formerly West Louise Lodge). Might not be quite so frozen in May as it is a very small lake.

The Stutfield Glacier viewpoint is about 98 km south of the town of Jasper, just a couple of kilometres north of the Icefields Centre and just south of the Tangle Falls viewpoint. I don't think it will be accessible to visitors this summer (or in future, unless you pay) - it is the site of the proposed new "Brewster Glacier Discovery Walk" and will be a construction zone this summer if the project goes ahead as planned.

Here is a map of the various lakes, waterfalls and viewpoints on the Icefields Parkway. You can download and print it as a pdf, or pick up a hard copy at any of the Parks Canada visitor centres (Banff, Lake Louise, Columbia Icefields or Jasper):

http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/jasper/visit/visit38.aspx