Global Weekly Snow Roundup #328
Weekly Global Snow News, updated 20 August 2026: The Northern Hemisphere has no outdoor lift-served skiing, while Argentina’s Marte chair opens and Southern Hemisphere resorts continue posting strong conditions.
- Northern Hemisphere: No outdoor lift-served skiing remains open for the first time ever in snow-reporting history.
- Indoor skiing: Over 100 indoor ski locations remain open across 30 countries.
- Southern Hemisphere: Conditions remain mixed, with fresh snow and more terrain opening at some resorts.
- Season changes: Las Leñas’ iconic Marte chairlift has opened, while some Southern Hemisphere resorts are beginning to close.
World Overview
It's an unprecedented week in the northern hemisphere - the first time in our decades of snow reporting (and decades more before we started) that there isn't a single outdoor lift-served ski area open. Weeks and months of heat to high-elevation in the Alps have taken their toll; and the last of the four summer ski areas that intend to be open through the latter half of August has been forced to temporarily close like the others until things improve. Lift-served skiing is still available at more than 100 locations in 30 countries; however, you just have to do it indoors. We should try not to be too disheartened, though; some fresh snowfall was reported at altitude in the Rockies and ski resorts have been announcing their plans to start snowmaking for the 26-27 season in a little over a month's time, with the first set opening dates only five weeks away now.
In the southern hemisphere it's a more mixed picture. Some areas continue to post the most terrain they've had open all season, and 2026 winter openings extended from late September to mid-October. There have also been more snowfalls bolstering base depths and giving some fresh powder days. The biggest news of the week was arguably the opening for the season of the legendary Marte chairlift at Las Leñas in Argentina, which reaches nearly 3,400 meters. It unlocks some of the steepest, biggest lift-accessed off-piste terrain on Earth, featuring over 40 technical high-alpine lines, 40 to 50-degree chutes, and massive vertical drops entirely above the tree line. However, we’re also starting to see the end of the ski season arriving for some, with Africa’s only remaining lift-accessed ski area set to close for 2026 after this coming weekend and the first centre in Australia announcing its upcoming season end already too.
