Europe Weekly Snow Roundup #320

• Tignes opens for summer skiing and riding, the third French resort to open.
• Only one centre still open in Scandinavia after Riksgransen ends 2026 season.
• Warm temperatures in the Alps sees freezing point move above peaks.

Europe Report

We are down to just over half a dozen ski areas open in Europe now. That's six centres in the Alps (half of them currently in France) and just one centre still operating in Scandinavia, the region's highest slopes on the Galdhopiggen glacier, in Norway following Riksgransen in Sweden ending its season after the Midsummer weekend, with its trademark skiing and riding under the midnight sun to welcome in summer.

Indeed, the fact that it is now astronomical summertime as well as meteorological summertime means the days have started getting shorter again, and we're on the long countdown to the start of the 26-27 season. Opinion is divided on when exactly that is, but Switzerland's Saas-Fee reopens next month for its run through to spring 2027.

Tignes (0/80cm / 0/32”) opened for a month of summer skiing at the weekend, joining already open neighbour Val d’Isere (0/120cm / 0/48”) as well as Les 2 Alpes to bring France up to its full complement of three surviving summer ski options, at least for a few weeks.

You can also ski at Austria’s Hintertux (0/300cm / 0/120”), still posting the deepest snow base in the Northern hemisphere and the most terrain open (around 24km/15 miles of slopes), as well as at Italy’s Passo Stelvio (0/200cm / 0/80”). The Matterhorn Glacier Paradise (0/100cm / 0/40”) above Switzerland’s Zermatt, also accessible from Cervinia, is the sixth option.

The weather in the Alps has been warmer this week, with the freezing point mostly up around 3900m to 4400m altitudes.  It's been mostly sunny but with some light showers, but mostly falling as rain even up on glaciers due to the warmth.  Overnight lows at 3,000m have still been well above freezing in high single figures. Alpine valleys, meanwhile, have seen +30C and even higher in the afternoons.

Europe Forecast

A warm, mostly settled spell continues across the Alpine glaciers from Thursday, with freezing levels extremely high (4200–4700 m) and upper‑glacier temperatures often slightly above 0 °C. Conditions stay dry and sunny, though isolated afternoon thunderstorms remain possible, especially in France and Switzerland. Surfaces soften quickly each day quickly, with no meaningful new snowfall expected through the weekend. By contrast, up in Scandinavia, Galdhøpiggen stays cold and mostly unsettled, with –6 °C to –2 °C on the glacier and frequent cloud. Light snow or flurries are possible Thursday and Friday, with brief clearer spells. The weekend remains chilly, occasionally breezy, and largely dry, with firm morning surfaces softening through the afternoon.