Les 2 Alpes Hosts World Rookie Tour Amid Europe’s Best Spring Conditions

• Glacier skiing continues: Seven Alps resorts remain open for May adventures
• Snow returns to the Alps: fresh flurries and cooler temps above 2,000m
• Riksgränsen offers midnight sun skiing with 24-hour daylight and snowy slopes
• Norway awaits summer ski season as last winter resorts close

EUROPE INTRO

With dozens of ski areas ending their seasons at the start of this week, only around 10 ski areas remain open for their 2024-25 seasons in the Alps and Scandinavia. The last center outside these two regions that was still open, Spain’s Sierra Nevada, ended its season on Sunday. About half of the remaining open areas are Austrian glaciers, with Finland, France, Italy, Sweden, and Switzerland each reporting just one area still open. Everywhere has closed in Norway, with Hemsedal being one of the last to close over the weekend. However, the first of its three small summer ski centers, Galdhøpiggen, is expected to open this coming weekend, with the others following soon after.

ALPS REPORT

There are currently seven glacier ski areas still open in the Alps, with five of these in Austria, one in France, and one on the Swiss/Italian border. There’s always a chance of another area reopening at short notice, as Glacier 3000 near Gstaad did last weekend after announcing late on Wednesday that it planned to do so due to the still excellent conditions. The Austrian options are the Stubai (0/270 cm / 0/108”), which is set to end its season this weekend, although it currently reports more than 80% of its slopes still open. There is also the Kaunertal (0/110 cm / 0/44”) and Kitzsteinhorn (0/250 cm / 0/100”) glaciers, which plan to continue for another week, and the Mölltal (0/140 cm / 0/56”), open into June, with Hintertux (0/220 cm / 0/88”) open year-round, conditions permitting.

Also still open is the Zermatt-Cervinia (10/110 cm / 4/44”) ski area on the Swiss/Italian border and Les 2 Alpes (10/285 cm / 4/114”) in France, which aims to maintain 1,000 m of skiable vertical throughout this month if conditions allow. This could be the largest May vertical in the world, as well as the most extensive terrain open in Europe this week. From 10 to 18 May, the resort will host the World Rookie Tour. International riders will gather at Les 2 Alpes for a week of camps (juniors and under-17s), followed by a weekend of Slopestyle contests at the 2 Alpes snowpark at 3,400 m. Reported base depths have remained largely unchanged from a week ago. Although some warm temperatures on glaciers have occurred at times, they have been partially offset by light to moderate snowfall on high slopes, with glaciers reporting 2-10 cm (1-4”) of snow on some days above 2,500 m, interspersed with sunny periods. The freezing point has fluctuated between 2,500 and 3,500 m for much of the past week, but it has recently dropped, becoming cooler, with more significant snowfalls above 2,000 m.

ALPS FORECAST

The forecast indicates a more wintry pattern above 2,000 m than in recent weeks, with the freezing point dropping to 1,500–2,000 m. Light to moderate snowfalls (5-10 cm / 2-4”) are expected on most days in the coming week, with sunny intervals in between.

SCANDINAVIA REPORT

After leading Europe in terms of open resorts in recent weeks, most of the remaining open ski areas in Finland, Norway, and Sweden closed over the weekend, including Sweden’s major resort Åre and Norway's Hemsedal. Norway is now temporarily without an open ski area, but its three summer glacier resorts are expected to start their 2025 seasons from this coming weekend. Currently, there are two remaining open areas: Sweden's northern Riksgränsen (70/180 cm / 28/72”), which has entered its period of 24-hour daylight and is offering skiing under the midnight sun on two evenings a week (Fridays and Sundays) as it approaches the final fortnight of its season.

Additionally, Finland's Levi, which has been operating since early October—one of the longest seasons in Europe and globally—is still open. Although it typically closes with Ruka at the beginning of the month, this year, it is extending for an extra fortnight until mid-May. Riksgränsen continues to experience very cold conditions with snow showers, overnight lows below -10°C, and daytime temperatures barely rising above freezing. Levi experienced cold temperatures with snow showers over the weekend but has since become drier and slightly warmer, with approximately 70% of its slopes still open.

SCANDINAVIA FORECAST

Drier and milder weather is forecast for Finnish Lapland, with Levi expecting plenty of sunshine and daytime highs approaching double digits above freezing, although nighttime temperatures may still drop to -5°C. Riksgränsen is also expected to see slightly warmer temperatures towards the weekend, ranging from -5°C to +5°C, with drier conditions.