Coldest July Night Hits Glaciers: -12°C and Powder in the Alps

• Fresh Snow Hits Lake Tahoe and Marmot Basin in Mid-Summer Surprise
• Alps Score 20–40cm of Snowfall Above 3,000m This Week
• Galdhøpiggen Stays Open Despite Scandinavian Heatwave
• Saas-Fee Boasts World’s Deepest Snow Base Right Now

NORTHERN HEMISPHERE INTRO

It may be the last week of July and still high summer in the Northern Hemisphere, with some very warm weather much of the time for most areas (an all-time high, in fact, up in the Finnish Arctic Circle), but there are signs of winter on high peaks for those of us desperate to see some fresh snow. The usual suspects – Alpine glaciers and slopes above 3,000m in the Alps and high terrain in northern Canada – are the best bets, but this week brief coverings of white reached as far south as the peaks of Lake Tahoe too. In terms of open slopes and lifts running, five glacier ski areas remain open in the Alps and Scandinavia in Europe, and there are a couple of options in the Western US still too.

ALPS REPORT

It may be high summer, but it’s been one of the better weeks of the past few months in terms of freezing points and snowfall. Although predominantly in the 3,000–4,000m altitude range, the freezing point did drop as low as 2,500m, and unsettled conditions have brought some good snowfall on higher glacier slopes over the last seven days — 20–40cm (8–16”) totals above 3,000m, in fact — with rain in valleys. The unsettled conditions, sometimes accompanied by rain and low visibility, did tend to close centres at times. In fact, everywhere but Passo Stelvio was closed for snowsports at the start of the week. But when open, Saas-Fee (0/200cm / 0/80") continues to post the deepest base not just in Europe, but in the world, and has around 16km/10 miles of slopes open. Neighbouring Swiss area Zermatt (0/120cm / 0/48") is posting just a little less skiable terrain — about 14km/9 miles of Europe's highest slopes. Austria's Hintertux (0/65cm / 0/26") has marginally the most available runs, with 18km/11 miles open. In Italy, you can ski at Passo Stelvio (0/110cm / 0/44") or access Zermatt's Matterhorn Glacier Paradise equally easily from the Cervinia side. With Tignes ending its summer ski season at the start of last week, there's currently no lift-accessed summer skiing available in France, with nowhere expected to open until Val Thorens starts its nearly six-month 25–26 season in mid-November.

ALPS FORECAST

A cold and snowy end to the week on high slopes in the Alps. Temperatures as low as -12°C on glaciers overnight, with afternoon highs still below freezing above 2,500m. Sunshine in between the snow showers.

SCANDINAVIA REPORT

Scandinavia has sweltered under unseasonably high temperatures in recent days, with Finland experiencing record warmth through much of late July. Leading resort Levi noted a 60-degree swing in temperatures between its winter lows and summer highs. It has snow stockpiled and aims to start its 25–26 season in just over two months. Despite the heat, Norway’s Galdhøpiggen ski area (10/80cm / 4/32”), the only one currently still open, has managed to stay open. With the region's highest skiable terrain, its summer ski-only season runs from April to November, but in recent years it has sometimes been forced to close by high temperatures in August/September, so the jury is out on 2025 at present. Temperatures at the summit have hovered around freezing at night, while daytime highs have climbed to +10°C. The weather has been mixed, bringing both sunny spells and scattered showers. Although most of the precipitation has fallen as rain, light snow flurries have still graced the slopes.

SCANDINAVIA FORECAST

There’s not much change in the forecast, with an ongoing mix of sunshine and (mostly rain) showers. Temperatures in the 0–10°C range.

USA REPORT

It may be mid-summer and we're still seeing some very hot weather much of the time across much of North America, but there's still some fresh snowfall to report this week — albeit high up, with its presence on the slopes brief! Ski areas around Lake Tahoe in California, including Northstar and Kirkwood, posted images of a dusting of wet snow over the weekend. Before that, late last week — and exactly a year after the historic ski town of Jasper in Alberta, Canada faced one of its darkest days as a wildfire swept toward town, forcing residents and visitors to evacuate and eventually destroying a third of the buildings, along with hundreds of hectares of forest — there was fresh snow on the slopes of the local Marmot Basin ski area. “We’re endlessly grateful to the firefighters, first responders, volunteers and everyone who helped along the way. The strength of this community is nothing short of inspiring,” a spokesperson said. In terms of open lift-accessed skiing, though, the only terrain available at present remains Oregon's Timberline, which reports wet snow, best conditions in the first hours of daylight in the morning, and a little over a mile (2km) of slopes open. The hike-to terrain park at Copper Mountain in Colorado, with similar snow conditions, also continues to open to the public Fridays to Sundays inclusive, reserved for just those attending the local Woodward at Copper camps during the week.

USA FORECAST

Mostly sunny weather forecast, with temperatures above freezing at all levels. Lows around 40°F, afternoon highs well into the 60s.