Jay Peak Hosts One-Day Terrain Park Party with Snowstocked Rails

• Freak June Snowfall Hits Tahoe and BC—Winter Teases a Summer Comeback
• Glacier Skiing Expands in France as Tignes Kicks Off Summer Season
• Scandinavia’s Galdhøpiggen Stands Alone with Fresh Snow and Chilly Nights
• Timberline, Copper Keep U.S. Summer Turns Alive Despite 90°F Heat

NORTHERN HEMISPHERE INTRO

We’ve been seeing some very hot temperatures in both Europe and North America over the past week, reaching the 30s Celsius and high 80s Fahrenheit—even in the mountains—and getting well above freezing at the 10 or so areas still open in Asia, Europe, and North America. The hot weather can sometimes generate cold, though, and there’s the occasional high-altitude snowstorm still bubbling up on alpine glaciers, along with a larger freak fall on higher slopes in Northwestern North America, as far south as Lake Tahoe. But it’s mostly been sunshine, with the occasional rain shower when precipitation does occur. We’re currently at six areas open in the Alps—up one, with Tignes starting its summer ski area—one left in Scandinavia after Stryn ended their 2025 season, one in Asia with Gassan (0/100cm / 0/40”) still going with about a 500m (1,800 feet) run left, and one or two in North America, depending on what you include. That’s a total of about 10 across the three continents—plus about 100 indoor snow centres, of course.

ALPS REPORT

It is one of those rare weeks in summer when the number of ski areas open in the Alps actually increases, with France now offering a choice of three summer ski areas. Tignes (0/160cm / 0/64”) joins its neighbour Val d’Isère (0/160cm / 0/64”) in re-opening to offer summer glacier skiing. Les 2 Alpes (0/150cm / 0/60”) is one of four ski areas still open from autumn/winter 2024, now nearing seven months of non-stop operation. The others in the Alps include Austria's Hintertux (0/190cm / 0/76”), which has both the deepest snowpack and the most terrain currently open, with 27km (17 miles) of slopes, and Italy/Switzerland’s Cervinia/Zermatt shared Matterhorn Glacier Paradise (0/120cm / 0/48”). The sixth ski area currently open is Italy’s Passo Stelvio (0/150cm / 0/60”). Tignes has up to 20 km of glacier runs between 3,456 m and 2,724 m and a four-week season this year, continuing into July. The past week has been mostly sunny, but squally/stormy fronts have moved through, bringing rain as high as 4,000 m. The freezing point has been between 3,500 and 4,800 m for much of the past week, meaning lows on glaciers have remained above freezing overnight, with afternoon highs at 3,000 m reaching +10°C or higher.

ALPS FORECAST

There’s no snowfall in the forecast, with conditions expected to remain much the same: plenty of sunshine, though rain showers are possible. Temperatures may reach +12°C on glaciers, with overnight lows around +4°C at 3,000 m.

SCANDINAVIA REPORT

Three Scandi ski areas in Norway and Sweden were open last weekend as Midsummer was celebrated, but two of these—briefly re-opened Riksgränsen in the Swedish Arctic and Norway's Stryn summer ski area—have since closed. With the Fonna summer ski area still not fully open, except for cat skiing for private groups, Scandinavia's highest slopes at the Galdhøpiggen (30/120cm / 12/48”) summer ski area are now the only ones still operating. It’s had a mixed week of weather, with plenty of sunshine but also fresh snowfall reported at the start of the week.

SCANDINAVIA FORECAST

A little more sunshine is expected for a day or two, but a fresh front is forecast to bring more snow, sleet, and rain to close out the week. Temperatures are expected to range from -2°C overnight to +10°C in the afternoons.

USA REPORT

Most ski areas in North America are now closed, after Arapahoe Basin, Beartooth Basin, and Mammoth Mountain all closed at the start of last week. However, skiing continues above 6,000 feet at the Palmer Snowfield at Timberline (0/140cm / 0/58”) on Mt. Hood in Oregon, and the hike-to terrain park at Copper Mountain in Colorado is open to the public from Fridays to Sundays. Additionally, last Saturday, June 21st, saw skiers and riders take to snow patches across the continent using touring gear. Vermont's Jay Peak also re-opened for one day only, thanks to snow stockpiled from the winter. Their Stateside Carpet area reopened as a terrain park, complete with boxes and rails serviced by the magic carpet. There was also live music and skateboarding features set up to create a multisport music event. For much of America, it has been a hot week, with some ski areas reporting temperatures reaching +90°F. However, there was also a freak snowstorm bringing snow to the north and west, with BC's Panorama posting "Fresh June snowfall" images over the weekend. It noted a 15cm accumulation and commented that winter is now only 167 days away. Many others shared similar updates, including resorts as far south as Palisades on Lake Tahoe in California.

USA FORECAST

Mostly sunny weather is expected in Oregon, with daytime highs reaching into the 50s (°F) even at high elevations. However, overnight lows should continue to freeze the snowpack most nights, allowing for good morning conditions.