Northern Hemisphere Weekly Snow Roundup #335

• 26-27 Ski season underway in Finland and Sweden.
• Two US resorts open terrain parks with last season’s stockpiled snow.
• Number of glacier centres open in the Alps increases from three to five.
• First snow reported on mountain peaks in Hokkaido, Japan

Alps Report

The amount of piste kilometres that had been open in the northern hemisphere up top now jumped dramatically last weekend as Hintertux (0/10cm / 0/4") opened after a 9 week closure with 15km (nine miles) of runs and Saas-Free (0/40cm / 0/16") also restarted its summer skiing after a slightly shorter break with 10km (6 miles) taking us from about 6km (4 miles) in total for the three open glaciers a week ago to around 30km (19 miles) now, a five-fold increase.  That said, the numbers remain well down on what they should be for early October, with far less terrain open than usual at open glaciers, and far fewer centres open, as centres including Zermatt, which aims to open daily for snowsports year round but has now reached an unprecedented two months closed following the record warm summer in the Alps, are still postponing opening. The past week hasn't shown a lot of respite still, but it has been getting a little cooler, at least with the freezing point dipping down as far as 2500m overnight, having previously been stubbornly above 3,000m altitudes.  It's been staying closer to freezing most days above 3,000m in the daytime too. But we're still waiting for the first significant snowfalls at altitude. Austria’s Solden say they’ll start their season on Friday and the Kitzsteinhorn announced it will open this coming Saturday. Engelberg’s Titlis Glacier was also considering opening for its season from this weekend, but it's currently unknown if that will happen or not.

Alps Forecast

It’s looking progressively more positive in the Alps over the coming week without any dramatic improvement anticipated. A colder, more unsettled spell develops across the high Alpine glaciers from Thursday, with regular light snowfall, brisk winds and freezing levels dropping well below 2500 m. Nights turn sharply colder, keeping surfaces firm early, while daytime temperatures hover around or just below freezing, allowing occasional fresh accumulations. Cloud cover thickens through the weekend, bringing intermittent snow showers and periods of low visibility. Overall, a more wintry, changeable pattern with frequent flurries is forecast, with generally improving upper‑glacier snow quality.

Scandinavia Report

Finland’s 26–27 ski season began last Friday at both Levi (0/40cm / 0/16”)  and Ruka (0/40cm / 0/16”) as they opened their first slopes, once again using long‑established snow‑farming systems to guarantee an early October launch. Levi stored close to 300,000 m³ of snow through summer on its Front Slopes and Levi Black terrain, while Ruka preserved around 150,000 m³ using sawdust, white fabric and Snow Secure insulation, retaining up to 80% of its winter stockpile. Levi has opened about 2/5km  (1.5 miles) of slopes, mostly on its Front Slopes, including Levi Glacier, the terrain park and moguls. Ruka has about 1.6 km (1 mile) of runs on its Saarua slopes with Saarua Express, Saarua III and the Village‑2‑Valley gondola. Both centres also opened cross‑country loops, with Levi offering 4 km of First Snow Track and morning testing events. Levi and Ruka will operate into May, delivering seven‑month seasons. In Sweden, Kläppen has also opened a snow‑farmed terrain park beside Kläppen Arena, which is open 10 am – 4 pm daily through October. Norway’s Galdhopiggen Glacier (10/50cm / 4/20") summer ski centre is still open, but exclusively to race teams training at present, it says.

Scandinavia Forecast

Mostly sunny, cool and close to freezing conditions dominate Scandinavia’s open and early‑season ski areas this week. Ruka and Levi stay largely dry with bright spells, overnight lows dipping a little below freezing and daytime highs hovering just above 0 °C, keeping surfaces firm early before softening slightly. Kläppen sees similar calm, settled weather with chilly nights and clear skies. Galdhøpiggen remains the coldest, frequently below freezing with occasional cloud and light flurries, but also long sunny periods. Overall, a stable, dry pattern persists, with no significant snowfall expected and generally improving surface quality at altitude.

North America Report

There was snow sports in North America last weekend as Snowmass in Colorado and Trollhaugen in Wisconsin created temporary terrain park setups by spreading stockpiled winter snow back on their slopes. Snowmass opened a free rail park using snow preserved under insulated blankets, saying about 85% of its stockpile survived Colorado's record‑warm summer. The resort shaped a one‑acre pile for a small early‑season setup alongside its final mountain‑bike days. Trollhaugen’s free Open Haugen weekend used a similar snow‑storage method and added a ski swap, shop sale, scenic chairlift rides, hay rides and a community donation drive. Over 300 athletes booked up all available spaces on the snow in advance.  Otherwise, other than indoor at New Jersey’s Big Snow, the 26-27 season is yet to start, but there have been more pre-season dustings of higher terrain, including the first in the Adirondack Mountains on the east coast, with Whiteface in New York State reporting a dusting, snowmaking system test firings and altitude temperature drops to keep things currently looking promising.

North America Forecast

High‑elevation terrain across western North America should transform from the recent mostly clear, dry and rather mild weather this week to more unsettled conditions and overnight lows at 8,000–10,000 ft dipping to the 20s°F, rising to mid‑60s to the40s°F by afternoon, with a chance of snowfall at more northerly latitudes.