The Season in Europe Winds Down
28th April 2025
Last modified on May 3rd, 2025
It’s been a good end to the season of 2024/25 in the Alps . We hear in detail from Tignes that remains open until this weekend, plus look at the other ski areas open this summer UPDATED
The vast majority of ski areas are shut but some go until the first weekend of May, with some glacier resorts staying open even longer.
“It has been a fairly typical spring week, with valley temperatures getting up towards +20°C and the freezing point fluctuating between around 1,500m and 2,500m in the Alps,” said our good friends over at Snow-Forecast.
” There’s been a mix of sunshine and showers, with the highest slopes seeing up to 30cm of fresh snowfall over the last seven days, but lower slopes more likely seeing sleet and rain.
“The most ‘wintry’ weather continues to be in the far north of Scandinavia within the Arctic Circle, where temperatures generally remain below freezing.
“A good many Scandinavian areas have made it to the start of May, but almost all will close after this coming weekend.
“Elsewhere in Europe, all ski areas in the Pyrenees, Eastern Europe, and Scotland are believed closed for the season.”
Austria:
- Ischgl (4th May),
- Pitztal (4th May),
- Stubai (11th May),
- Kitzsteinhorn (18th May)
- Kuenertall (18th May)
France:
- Tignes (4th May)
- Val d’Isere (4th May)
- Les2Alpes (4th May), but then re-opens.
- Val Thorens (4th May)
PlanetSKI reader, Marcia Nash, was out on the slopes of Tignes last weekend.
“Higher slopes are holding up well, largely due to the unexpected dump of 1.5m of fresh snow,” said Marcia.
“Pistes are hard / icy until mid morning when they soften to spring snow, turning sticky by mid afternoon.
“Several lifts in Tignes have now closed – Pacquis, Chaudannes, Marais, Aiguille Rouge, Aiguille Percee, Grand Huit, Chardonnet, Combe Folle, Palet.
Tignes, France. Images c/o Marcia Nash.
Tignes, France. Images c/o Marcia Nash.
“Both glaciers Grande Motte and Pisaillas retain excellent snow conditions all day despite the warm weather.
“I skied from 9 am until almost 4.30 pm today in very good snow conditions and blue sky and sunshine all day.
“Santons was particularly nice at 10 am – firm spring snow and empty.
Snow was very sticky and the only open piste down to the Boisses telecabine was what the Scots would call “broken”.
Tignes, France. Images c/o Marcia Nash.
“Snow was very sticky and the only open piste down to the Boisses telecabine was what the Scots would call “broken”, added Marcia.
PlanetSKI reader, David Morgan, sent us this update on what is happening in the resort:
Many bars and hotels in Tignes are either closed or are closing:
- La Paillote and La Rosee Blanche (La Daille) on 25 April;
- Jam Bar and Queue de Cochon on 27 April
- The Loop on 30 April.
In Lac – l’Embuscarde and Le Moose in Rue de la Poste and at Val Claret, the Couloir – are staying open.
Final week of season:
Tignes will be very quiet – 26% occupancy (final figure 57% this week) although French school holidays in Zone A (including Tignes) continue until 5 May 2025
The Dutch Family Jam and Ski Club of GB ‘Tignes Takeover’ holidays are in town.
A number of instructor training groups from l’École Nationale de Ski et d’Alpinisme (ENSA) groups – the French equivalent of BASI – will be on the slopes.
What’s on:
25 – 27 April – Black Shoes Telemark Weekend – 33rd anniversary of the telemark skiing event.
26 April – 3 May – Tignes Unlimited – a range of free music events including at Bollin and Palet restaurants and top of Toviere.
Black Shoes event, Tignes. Image c/o David Morgan.
Black Shoes event, Tignes. Image c/o David Morgan.
Switzerland:
- Engelberg (4th May)
Italy:
- Val Senales (4th May)
- Cervinia (4th May).
Two other centres in Europe remain open until Sunday, May 4th:
- Germany – Zugspitze Glacier
- Spain – Sierra Nevada, Europe’s most southerly ski area.
The dates and details are correct at time of posting, but do check with the resorts as the timings may change depending on the weather.
Hintertux in Austria and Zermatt in Switzerland aim to stay open across the summer, but much will depend on conditions.
PlanetSKI was in Hintertux in the summer of 2023:
Hintertux in the summer. Image © PlanetSKI
Hintertux in the summer. Image © PlanetSKI
Three French ski areas are open in May, June and July after the winter season ends on May 4th.
Les 2 Alpes has the longest season in France and aims to stay open for just over seven months.
After its ‘official’ winter season ends on May 5th it continues until the 28th May and aims to have 1,000 vertical metres of skiing between 2,600m and 3,600m.
Then for the final six weeks of its season from May 29th to July 6th that terrain will reduce to a 400m vertical at the very top of the slopes on its glacier between 3,600 to 3,200m.
The resort’s summer snowpark is set to be open from May 5th to July 6th.
Summer skiing in Les2Alpes. Image © PlanetSKI
Val d’Isère plans to open for summer skiing on its Pisaillas glacier for four weeks from Saturday June 7th to Sunday July 6th if conditions allow.
Skiing is possible on three runs located between 3,300m and 2,725m altitudes with another four runs reserved for race team training.
Neighbouring Tignes hopes to be the last to shut with four weeks of operations planned from 21st June to 20th July.
The Grande Motte glacier has slopes at an altitude of nearly 3,000 m.
Up to 20 km of glacier runs are available between 3,456 m and 2,724 m.
There is also cross-country skiing on the glacier.
Tignes, France. Image c/o Marcia Nash.
Here at PlanetSKI we’ll keep you posted as the season winds down in Europe and North America.
Then we’ll be turning our attentions to the Southern Hemisphere…
Cerro Catedral, Argentina. Image © PlanetSKI
South Island, New Zealand. Image © PlanetSKI
Skiing in Thredbo, Australia. Image © PlanetSKI
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