Global Weekly Snow Roundup #324

• South America: Up to 4m of snow has transformed skiing in Argentina and Chile.
• Southern Hemisphere: New Zealand is 60–100% open; Australia still relies on snowmaking.
• Europe: Saas-Fee has opened, marking the first 2026–27 ski season opening.
• North America: Lift-served skiing has ended for the 2025–26 season.

World Overview

A week of change in the skiing world. The biggest change a huge snowfall in South America, which has turned the (previously poor) 2026 season around in Argentina and Chile, with some resorts receiving more than 4m (13 feet) of snowfall. There's been a quieter one in the northern hemisphere, though, as the last lift-served outdoor ski area open for the 2025-26 season has closed in North America just as the first opens for its 2026-27 season in the Swiss Alps.

Snow conditions across the Southern Hemisphere have improved after a difficult start. Australia remains mostly dry and mild, but colder nights have allowed steady snowmaking and gradually expanding terrain, even though all areas remain with less than half their terrain open, in some cases less than 10%. New Zealand now feels far more typical for mid‑season, though, with earlier snowfalls lifting most ski areas to majority‑open status and temperatures staying cold enough to preserve cover. It’s mostly 60-100% open there now. In the Andes, recent major snowfall has transformed conditions, pushing many Chilean and Argentine resorts into fuller operation after weeks of thin bases. Southern Africa continues to rely entirely on machine‑made snow, but Lesotho’s slopes remain open thanks to consistent overnight freezes.

In the Northern Hemisphere, summer operations continue on a handful of glacier centres in the Alps, where warm daytime temperatures limit terrain despite occasional light snowfall. Saas-Fee has opened for summer glacier skiing, however and effectively that marks the start of its 25-26 season too. Scandinavia maintains full glacier skiing under similarly warm midsummer conditions.

In North America, lift‑served skiing has now ended (unless you head indoors in New Jersey), with Timberline's Palmer snowfield having its last day of the 2025-26 season last Sunday. Only a hike‑to terrain park and indoor centres offering off‑season freestyle snowsports fun.