Global Weekly Snow Roundup #322

• Southern Hemisphere conditions are improving, with major snowfall helping resorts reopen across Australia, New Zealand, and the Andes.
• New Zealand saw the biggest gains, with heavy snow bringing most areas back into operation.
• Andes resorts are mostly open, though snow bases remain limited and terrain is restricted.
• Northern Hemisphere summer skiing has declined to only a handful of glacier areas due to warm temperatures.

World Overview

Some progress was made a week ago for southern hemisphere conditions, with some significant snowfalls at last, a month into the 2026 season. New Zealand has done well with a big snowfall, and things are feeling a little more like real winter at last there.

In the northern hemisphere, meanwhile, with the highest temperatures of the year set to arrive, the number of glacier areas and similar still open in Europe and North America is down to around seven, with the one summer ski area that had been open in Canada ending its 2026 run last Sunday.

Southern Hemisphere Overview

Southern Hemisphere ski conditions are finally improving after a difficult start to the 2026 season. First off, Australia welcomed around 30 cm (12”) of new snow, allowing several resorts that had previously been forced to close by the earlier warm, dry conditions to reopen. Others who had to delay their season starts altogether now have a few runs open. Then heavy snowfall hit New Zealand, where most areas are now open, to start the week. By Wednesday, storm totals of up to 80cm (32") had been reported, and centres are battling to access resorts and open more terrain as we publish this week's report.  

The Andes have had similar progress, with fresh snowfall too and nearly all Chilean resorts and most Argentine centres are open as well. Cover remains thin everywhere, though, with limited terrain able to open still so far and no resort yet exceeding a 60 cm (24”) base or 12 km (7 miles) of piste, most much less. Still, after weeks of stagnation, the overall trend has turned positive, and momentum is finally building again. 

Northern Hemisphere Overview

In the northern hemisphere, July and August are typically the low point of the year when we can slip to just a handful of centres still operating during the hottest months of the year. After some snowfall on high slopes in Europe and North America, it has indeed been warm this week, with the freezing point climbing above the highest peaks in the Alps and many other mountain ranges, even at night on some days. We have dropped down to single figures for areas open with Canada's spell of summer skiing coming to an end, and it looks like we'll be down to that handful in just a week or two's time.