Autumn Snow in the Alps as More Glacier Areas Open
25th September 2025
Last modified on October 1st, 2025
There has been a dusting of fresh snow in the Alps as two Austrian glacier areas opened last weekend, with more to follow this weekend. PlanetSKI reports from the Alps. UPDATED
It has been relatively cool and unsettled in the Alps with some falls of snow high up on the glaciers.
With two glacier resorts in Austria opening last weekend – Pitztal & Hintertux – it takes the total number of alpine areas open for autumn skiing to six.
Here’s Pitztal that opened on Saturday:
Resorts open:
- Zermatt – Switzerland
- Saas-Fee – Switzerland
- Passo Stelvio – Italy
- Val Senales – Italy
- Pitztal – Austria
- Hintertux – Austria
Stubai, Soelden and Kaunertal in Austria are due to open this weekend.
The Austrian glacier areas of Kitzsteinhorn and Mölltal are scheduled to open on October 11th and 10th respectively
In Finland Ruka and Levi open this weekend.
“The weather in the Alps is a little mixed right now with plenty of sunshine for most areas, but rather more in the way of cloud in the east, especially in the eastern Austrian Alps, where there is the odd flight flurry to 1,800m or lower,” said Fraser Wilkin from weathertoski.co.uk.
“More organised but relatively weak weather fronts will reach the Alps late on Friday and over the weekend, but with any precipitation mostly reserved for the northern and north-eastern Alps.
“On Saturday, a warm front will raise the rain/snow limit to above 3000m to begin with, before a cold front from the north-west lowers it again a fraction later in the day.
“This will deliver a little top-up of snow for some of the glaciers, especially in Austria.”
PlanetSKI editor, James Cove, has been in St Gervais in France for a spot of hiking and sampling the delights of the autumn shoulder season in the Alps.
Then it started to snow.
Last Friday it was snowing at 2,000m.
Update: In the end Soelden postponed its opening until this coming weekend.
Here are a few more images and videos:
Dusting of snow, September 2025 St Gervais, France. Image © PlanetSKI
Dusting of snow, September 2025 St Gervais, France. Image © PlanetSKI
One Thursday James travelled up to the snow line below Mont Blanc, in clearer weather.
Here is the view down towards Chamonix in the valley below.
September 2025 – Mont Blanc Massif, France. Image © PlanetSKI
We have more pictures from the area at the end of this post.
In Switzerland several mountain passes were shut on Saturday as 20cm of snow fell:
- Furka
- Gotthard
- Grimsel
- Nufenen
- Pragel
- San Bernardino
- Susten
The passes are usually closed from November to May or June.
The latest snowfall has been caused by a so-called high-altitude low.
It settled over the Alps last Monday and has remained almost stationary since then, so snow has fallen in a number of areas.
Here’s Les Menuires in Les3Valleys in France:
As mentioned, here are some more pictures of the snow from high above Saint Gervais last Thursday:
September 2025 – Mont Blanc Massif, France. Image © PlanetSKI
September 2025 – Mont Blanc Massif, France. Image © PlanetSKI
September 2025 – Mont Blanc Massif, France. Image © PlanetSKI
September 2025 – Mont Blanc Massif, France. Image © PlanetSKI
September 2025 – Mont Blanc Massif, France. Image © PlanetSKI
Here at PlanetSKI we will be following the autumn weather/snow conditions closely.
Do check back…
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