Europe Weekly Snow Roundup #283

• Alpine glacier count hits ten as Tirol leads the charge
• Hintertux expands to 21km with park lines and big jumps
• Finland fires the starting gun at Levi and Ruka
• Dustings at altitude; strong winds test high ridgelines
• Tatra and Balkan peaks turn white as frosts bite

Europe Overview

We’re back into double-figures for ski areas open in the northern hemisphere, with five more starting their 25-26 season last weekend, including the first in Finland. We’ve reached the turning point in the year when the closure of ski areas in Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand marks the end of their 2025 season, meaning the northern hemisphere now has more ski areas open than the southern hemisphere once again.

What is open is a mixture of glacier ski areas and northerly or high-altitude resorts that have stored snow through the summer and now spread it back out to create autumn snow slopes on otherwise snowless mountainsides. However, there have also been fresh light snowfalls on high slopes.

Scandinavia's season has also gathered pace, with Finland's season getting underway last Friday. Levi and Ruka resorts both used snow farming to kick off their seasons, creating a few kilometres of slopes each for very early-season skiers and boarders.

Although ski areas are currently only open in the Alps and Scandinavia, other mountainous areas have seen light snowfalls and heavy frosts. For instance, Jasna in the Tatra Mountains of Czechia has posted images of its mountain tops turning white, reporting summit temperatures as low as -8.5 °C. Bansko in Bulgaria also posted pictures of snow lying on high slopes in the Balkans.

Austria

We are now up to 10 ski areas open in the Alps, with half of them in Austria, as three more glaciers, all in Tirol, have joined the two already open there. The Stubai (0/10cm / 0/4”), Kaunertal (0/10cm / 0/4”) and Solden (0/104cm / /0/41”) glaciers all opened, the latter three weeks before it is due to host the opening events of the 25-26 Alpine skiing World Cup Tour. They join already open Pitztal (30/60cm / 12/24”) and Hintertux.

The Mölltal glacier in Carinthia is due to join the party this coming Friday. It stored a total of 300,000 m³ of snow at the end of its last ski season in May this year and has been busy spreading that record volume, 100,000 m³ more than last year and even six times as much as the 2023/24 season, back out on its glacier slopes. The Kitzsteinhorn above Kaprun, which had previously stated it didn’t expect to open until November, now says it’ll open this Saturday, 11th October, starting Salzburgerland’s season.

Forecast
Conditions remain unsettled in the high Alps above 2,500 m with temperatures ranging from –2°C to +4°C. The Eastern Alps (Austria, Italy) will experience slightly milder conditions, with mixed precipitation and patchy snow above 2,700 meters. No significant snow accumulations are forecast, but fresh dustings are possible on glaciers.

Switzerland

The glacier slopes remain open at Saas-Fee (0/140cm / 0/56”) and Zermatt (0/120cm / 0/48”) in Switzerland, both of which report around 14 km (9 miles) of slopes currently open. You can also book a spot at a terrain park created from snow saved from last spring on the slopes of the Schilthorn above Murren in the Jungfrau.

Forecast
The Western Alps (France, Switzerland) will be cloudy with intermittent snow showers, especially on Thursday and Friday. Winds are moderate to strong at altitude.

Italy

In Italy, Passo Stelvio (10/90cm / 4/36”) and Val Senales (0/40cm / 0/16”) both have a few kilometres of slopes open with usage divided equally between ski racers training for the imminent season start and recreational skiers and riders.

Forecast
The Eastern Alps (Austria, Italy) will be slightly milder with mixed precipitation and patchy snow above 2,700 meters. Dustings remain possible on the glaciers.

Finland

Finland’s ski season got started last Friday with two of the country’s leading ski areas, Levi (0/20cm / 0/8”) and Ruka (0/20cm / 0/8”), both starting their 7-month-long 25-26 ski season thanks to snow stockpiled through the summer and spread back out on the slopes. Both resorts reported that the snow stored was their largest volume yet and that they had about 2km of early-season runs open apiece, both with terrain parks, gear testing, and opening events, as well as low lift pass price deals.
Forecast

Levi and Ruka will be calm and cloudy, with daytime highs around +2°C to +5°C. No significant snowfall expected for them, but light rain or sleet is possible.

Norway

The region's highest terrain on Norway's Galdhøpiggen Glacier (20/50cm / 8/20”) remains open, with around 3km (2 miles) of runs open and some fresh snow cover. However, there was also stormy weather at the weekend.

Forecast
Wintry conditions are expected across Scandinavia’s high-altitude ski zones, with fresh snow and sub-zero temperatures above 2,500 m. The Galdhøpiggen Glacier is expected to experience persistent snowfall over the latter half of this week, with winds strengthening to quite powerful gale-force conditions midweek.