Fresh Snow Possible Above 3,000m as Alpine Storms Roll In

• Saas Fee Opens With Deepest Base in Alps, Tignes Bows Out
• Timberline Enters Final Month After Eight-Month Epic Season
• Galdhøpiggen Battles Rain, Keeps Two-Thirds of Slopes Open
• Over 100 Indoor Slopes Now Open Worldwide for Summer Snow Fixes

NORTHERN HEMISPHERE INTRO

We’re still at a low level of ski areas open in the Northern Hemisphere – as you'd expect in mid-summer. Europe has five glacier centres open, although one of these has changed from a week ago, with Tignes in France ending its 2025 summer ski season at the weekend, while Switzerland's Saas-Fee started theirs. You can also still ski at Norway’s Galdhøpiggen glacier and across the Atlantic at Timberline ski area in Oregon, USA. As you'd expect, warm weather and continuing diminishing snowpacks have been the main conditions this week, although there has been the occasional snow flurry – just not adding as much as has been lost. At this time of year, the number of indoor snow centres open greatly outnumbers the choice of outdoor slopes, with more than 100 to choose from, mostly in Asia but also in Europe, North America, and even North Africa.

ALPS REPORT

Plenty of July sunshine in the Alps this week. The freezing point has generally been between 3,000 and 4,000m altitudes, with temperatures on glaciers mostly 0 to -2°C overnight, reaching up to +10°C at 3,000m in the afternoons. The weekend saw five areas open, with Saas Fee (0/200cm / 0/80”) joining its neighbour Zermatt (0/120cm / 0/48”) to start its 2025 summer ski season, which transitions into its 2024–25 season later in the year. It opened with the world’s deepest base. However, the last area open in France, Tignes (0/160cm / 0/64”), which had dropped to 5km (3 miles) of glacier slopes still open, ended its summer ski season on Sunday. So we’re back to four areas open from the start of this week, with no French centre expected to reopen for nearly five months, until late November. Hintertux (0/60cm / 0/24”) is the only Austrian area open and has the most terrain available in Europe, about 16km (10 miles) of slopes, though that has dropped by more than a third since the start of the month. Italy’s Passo Stelvio (0/110cm / 0/44”) reports good conditions with about 60% of its slopes open, and Italy-based skiers can also access the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise and Europe’s highest ski slopes from Cervinia as easily as from Zermatt. Although mostly sunny, occasional light to moderate rain showers have bubbled up on glaciers.

ALPS FORECAST

It’s looking like a period of unsettled weather over the next few days could bring some decent snowfall above 3,000m, with 20–30cm (8–12”) accumulations possible as the freezing point drops to 2,000–3,000m altitudes and overnight lows on high ground fall well below freezing.

SCANDINAVIA REPORT

Scandinavia’s highest ski area, Norway’s Galdhøpiggen Summer Ski Center (10/80cm / 4/32”) remains open but has had quite a challenging week, with temperatures mostly in the +5 to +15°C range and quite a few rain showers reported on the snowpack. For now, though, conditions are described as “springlike,” and about two-thirds of the slopes are still open in the mornings. Sunshine and warmer weather are expected to return at the weekend.

SCANDINAVIA FORECAST

A mostly sunny forecast with light rain showers bubbling up in the afternoons. Temperatures will remain above freezing, even overnight, mostly in the +3 to +8°C range.

USA REPORT

Idaho’s Timberline (0/20” / 0/50cm) remains the only outdoor ski area open in North America. It’s now into the likely final month of its long 2024–25 season, the continent's longest, which began way back in November last year—more than eight months ago! It has inevitably been warm, with temperatures reaching the 60s/70s °F in the afternoons as usual and plenty of sunshine. The snowpack has lost another 20% of its volume, but overnight lows have been close to freezing, and there have even been snow flurries to start the week. You can also ski indoors in New Jersey at the Big Snow Centre, and if a lift and a smooth run aren't important to you—but a bit of air is—the hike-to terrain park at Colorado’s Copper Mountain, used Monday–Thursday by kids attending the Woodward summer camps, is open Fridays to Sundays for the general skiing and riding public.

USA FORECAST

Continuing sunshine all the way. Overnight lows down to the high 30s/low 40s °F, daytime highs in the high 60s to low 70s °F.