Conditions Looking Good in the Alps & Now North America

19th October 2024

Last modified on October 23rd, 2024

Several glacier areas are open with skiing on offer in Austria, Italy and Switzerland. The first resort in the USA has also opened. UPDATED

Autumn skiing has been one of the best in recent years with heavy snowfall last month followed by cold temperatures.

There are the resorts currently open in the Alps:

Hintertux, Austria
Pitztal, Austria
Stubai, Austria
Soelden, Austria
Kaunertal, Austria
Moltaller, Austria
Val Senales, Italy
Passo Stelvio, Italy
Saas-Fee, Switzerland
Zermatt, Switzerland

In Val Senales skiing is only for race team training and not the general public.

The is also skiing on offer in Ruka and Levi in Finland.

Other ski areas including Val Thorens in France and Gurgl in Austria will opening in late November.

PlanetSKI will be in both resorts early season so look out for our reports.

The bulk of the resorts open in December ahead of Xmas.

“It continues to look good in Europe, particularly on Alpine glaciers, 11 of which have now opened for their 24-25 seasons,” said Snow Forecaster.

“It’s staying a few degrees on either side of freezing up high, and there have been more 10-20cm (4-8”) top-ups to keep conditions fresh.

“Ski areas are also open with a few kilometers of terrain, and some fresh snowfall has been reported in Finland and Norway to the north.

“Elsewhere in Europe, Iceland has had a snow covering, and Scottish mountains also reported a rather more significant snowfall on high slopes than the early dustings last month at the weekend.”

In North America Wolf Creek in Colorado opened on Tuesday 22nd October and is the first US resort to open with a decent amount of terrain on offer.

First resort in USA opens

Image c/o Wolf Creek.

There has also been the first human-triggered avalanche in the USA as two skiers set off two small avalanches near Silverton on Sunday, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, CAIC.