Best Start to a Ski Season in Recent Years?
22nd November 2025
Last modified on November 25th, 2025
Another snowstorm hits the Alps. It is the biggest so far with up to 1m expected to fall in places. UPDATED
Another weather front is hitting the Alps with many parts expected to see snowfall.
It is the latest of a series of autumn storms across the Alps and it looks like it will be the largest.
“It’s another very snowy day for parts of the Alps today,” said the alpine weather expert, Fraser Wilkin, from weathertoski.co.uk. on Tuesday.
“Unlike yesterday, when most of the action was in the western and north-western Alps, this time the whole of the northern Alps (including Austria) will see flurries or longer periods of snow, and to lower levels than yesterday too, with a rain/snow limit typically around 500-800m.
“Except for in some border areas, the southern Alps will see fewer flurries.
“Today alone will see between 15cm and 40cm of new snow above 1000m across a wide swathe of the northern Alps, with another 10–20cm likely tomorrow, especially in the Swiss and Austrian Alps.
“This means that storm totals between Sunday and Wednesday will likely exceed 1 metre at altitude in many north-western parts of the Alps and approach 1.5m in a few places.”
Here’s PlanetSKI reporter Felix Milns in Val Thorens, France, on Monday morning:
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Felix was in Val Thorens for its opening and updated across the weekend – on the snow and opening festivities.
Opening day in Val Thorens, Saturday 22nd November. Image © PlanetSKI
See here for an earlier PlanetSKI article about what’s new in the resort for the season:
It is now late November and the conditions are very welcome, but it does not mean by any means that it will be a bumper ski season.
It is far too early tell, but the snow sets things up nicely.
The last few weeks across the Alps, at various altitudes, have seen as much early season snow and cold temperatures as we can recall in recent years.
More than 40 resorts in the Alps were offering skiing at the weekend, and France joined the party with the opening of Val Thorens and Tignes.
Opening w/end in Val Thorens, Sunday 23rd November. Image © PlanetSKI
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Ski areas open included:
- Austria: Pitztal, Hintertux, Stubai, Soelden, Kaunertal, Kitzsteinhorn, Molltal, Obertauern, Schladming, Obergurgl & Kitzbuhel.
- France: Val Thorens & Tignes.
- Italy: Cervinia, Sulden, Passo Tonale & Val Senalis.
- Switzerland: Andermatt, Verbier, Zermatt, Saas-Fee, Murren, Arosa, Davos, Glacier 3000, Titlis Glacier (Engleberg) & Diavolezza Glacier (St Moritz) and Adelboden.
Obergurgl in Austria opened on Thursday 20th November with 60% of its slopes open.
It was the first non-glacier resort to offer such an extensive amount of skiing – 69km (45 miles) of pistes on a mix of natural and artificial snow.
“With France opening for skiing at the weekend with good opening conditions, and joining the other main alpine nations, it is fair to say it is currently one of the best opening periods in recent years,” said the PlanetSKI editor, James Cove.
“Perhaps most importantly is the cold temperature so the snow falling will not suddenly melt as has happened in previous starts to the season.
“The cold temperatures also harden the ground, so any future snow falls on cold, not warm, ground.
“We are however in the second half of November, and much may happen between now and when many resorts open in the first half of December.
“For the time being though there is cause for early optimism with no sudden thaws predicted and it is one of the best starts I can recall.”
Tignes is another French resort that opened at the weekend.
PlanetSKI’s Jane Peel will be reporting from Tignes in early December.
Elsewhere in Europe there have also been wintery conditions.
The Pyrenees
There has been some snow over in the Pyrenees in the current cold spell.
No resorts or ski areas are open in Andorra, France or Spain but it’s looking good.
See here for more about skiing in Andorra this coming winter:
The UK
There has also been some snow in the UK with Scotland’s ski areas welcoming the white stuff.
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There’s even a spot of skiing on offer in the UK at the moment.
The ski areas of Yad Moss in Cumbria and Cairngorm in Scotland have opened:
Yad Moss. Image c/o Yad Moss web camera.
Scandinavia
There have some bitterly cold temperatures in Scandinavia with several resorts now open.
Levi and Ruka in Finland have been open a few weeks.
In Sweden Tarnaby and Kabdalis are open.
Resorts in Norway are set to start opening next weekend, though some cross-country skiing is available.
Here on PlanetSKI we have a separate report on the snow conditions in North America, where conditions are variable:
Sunshine Village, Banff, Canada. Image © PlanetSKI
Do check back for the PlanetSKI updates on the snow conditions as the season of 2025/26 gets underway…
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