But it isn’t over in the Alps just yet, as glacier areas kick off summer ski sessions with a little fresh snow.
The Austrian glacier resorts are set to see 5-10cm of new snow through Thursday, with the Kitzsteinhorn above Kaprun forecast to receive 20-25cm.
Thanks to the great snowfall at the end of April and the beginning of this month Les Deux Alpes, France has begun summer ski operations earlier than planned. After 10cm overnight another 25-30cm is forecast to fall by Thursday morning.
The cross-border ski area between Cervinia, Italy and Zermatt, Switzerland will see 25-30cm above 2,500m the first half of this week, with skies clearing and sunny conditions forecast through the weekend.
It will be a calm, dry and cold start to the week at Narvik in Norway’s far north before a storm system hits on Thursday, potentially dropping 15-20cm of new snow in the run up to the last day of the season on 15 May.
Opening day at Fonna Glacier Resort is imminent with the slopes looking in fantastic shape.
Galdhøpiggen Summer Ski Center is scheduled to open this coming Saturday, 11 May, with Stryn Sommerski set to start spinning the lifts on 25 May.
The remaining Swedish resort operating for the 2023/24 season, Riksgränsen in the far north, will see sunny skies and light flurries of new snow in the alpine through Thursday before a new storm system rolls in. Riksgränsen is scheduled to operate until 25 May.
Killington in Vermont, on the East Coast of the USA, will see rain top to bottom through Thursday as the freezing level rises above 3,000m and the mercury hits 20C at village level.
The Colorado resorts of Arapahoe Basin, Copper Mountain and Loveland are forecast to see 10-15cm the first half of this week. Solitude and Snowbird in Utah could see 20-25cm on top of the 10-15cm which fell over the weekend.
Out west, the California resorts of Mammoth and Palisades Tahoe will see freeze-thaw conditions and sunny skies after weekend snowfall. ‘Conditions are likely to be similar to early season, with not much snow depth in some places and hazards like rocks just below the surface,’ the resort writes as a warning, alongside the footage of big spring flakes falling.
Further north in Oregon temperatures will be lower with snowfall top to bottom. Mt Bachelor will see 10-15cm, and Mt Hood Meadows and Timberline are forecast to receive 25-30cm of new snow.
Sunshine Village, Alberta will see light rainfall below 2,000m and 10-15cm of new snow above that level.
Whistler Blackcomb will see a mix of light rain and sunshine below 1,800m with 5-10cm forecast in the alpine.
Gassan Glacier on the main Japanese island of Honshu will see a mix of warm temperatures, sunny skies and rainfall through Thursday.
The snow continues to fall across the central Lake District region of Argentina and Chile with 45-50cm of new snow forecast the first half of this week and Villarrica-Pucón set to receive 60-65cm.
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Further north, the Andean resorts will see an isolated storm on Tuesday dropping 10-15cm of new snow at Las Leñas, Argentina; 25-30cm at Portillo, Chile and 45-50cm at Valle Nevado, Chile.
Conditions continue to be dry and sunny across the Australian ski resorts with precipitation forecast for the end of the week.
New Zealand’s North Island will see below freezing temperatures and sunny skies through Thursday.
Further south the Canterbury resorts and club fields will see a base building 10-15cm fall on Wednesday. The resorts around Queenstown and Wānaka will see 5-10cm of new snow.
News From Around the Ski World
The traditional periods for winter holidays in Europe are Christmas and New Year, February Half-Term and Easter, which all coincide with school holidays across much of the continent.
With limited and defined holiday weeks comes the inevitable hike in prices as businesses attempt to capitalise on this captive audience. First world problems, I know!
But there may be alternatives as weather patterns change across Europe and North America.
Over the past 10 seasons it seems that in certain parts of the ski world the snow is arriving earlier and snow continues to fall long after most of the other resorts have closed for the season.
The best bet for early and late season snow has been at resorts that offer high altitude skiing often aided by glacier terrain, and further north in the Nordic countries of Finland, Norway and Sweden.
Opening weeks at these resorts coincide with the late October school holiday period, and taking an early winter holiday during this time could see you enjoying great conditions on quiet slopes at prices which won’t make your wallet cry!
Often there are major events to enjoy, too; For example the FIS World Cup Race Weekend in Solden, Austria at the end of October kicks off the competitive racing calendar.
Similarly, the early May long weekend and late May holiday period coincides with great snow conditions and quiet slopes at cheaper prices, with events like Ischgl’s Top of the Mountain closing concert, which this season featured the Black Eyed Peas.
Something to think about over the summer months as you plan for next winter.
If you’re out in resort drop us a line via our social media channels to share your ‘on the snow’ experiences and photos.
We post twice-weekly snow reports on Mondays and Thursdays throughout the 2023/24 winter season. Bookmark us, or, better yet, subscribe to get the latest snow news and our tips for where the snow will be.
Between snow reports please visit the ‘stories’ section of Welove2ski’s Instagram to see the latest images and videos from ski resorts around the world.
Snow Stats From Ski Areas Around the World
Austria Ski Resorts
Hintertux (18/21 lifts; 56/62km piste; 0-470cm base)
Kaunertal (4/7 lifts; 29/55km piste; 390-400cm base)
Kitzsteinhorn (10/21 lifts; 25/61km piste; 0-345cm base)
Molltaler Glacier (5/9 lifts; 18/36km piste; 0-290cm base)
Stubai (17/26 lifts; 53/68km piste; 0-570cm base)
France Ski Resorts
Les 2 Alpes (5/44 lifts; 7/200km piste; 0-340cm base)
Italy and Switzerland Interconnected Ski Areas
Matterhorn [Zermatt, Breuil-Cervinia, Valtournenche] (17/51 lifts; 40/322km piste; 0-150cm base)
Nordic Resorts
Norway
Narvik (3/6 lifts; 5/10km piste; 30-50cm base)
Sweden
Riksgransen (6/6 lifts; 15/21km piste; 45-135cm base)
USA
California
Mammoth (10/25 lifts; 42/89km piste; 165-250cm base)
Palisades Tahoe (11/43 lifts; 114/200km piste; 30-245cm base)
Colorado
Arapahoe Basin (9/9 lifts; 87/105km piste; 60-170cm base)
Copper Mountain (5/24 lifts; 27/126km piste; 70-145cm base)
Loveland (7/10 lifts; 86/93km piste; 45-165cm base)
Oregon
Mt Bachelor (4/15 lifts; 35/100km piste; 45-235cm base)
Mt Hood Meadows (7/12 lifts; 51/90km piste; 160-330cm base)
Timberline (5/7 lifts; 24/31km piste; 160-405cm base)
Utah
Snowbird (4/14 lifts; 33/103km piste; 45-275cm base)
Solitude (5/9 lifts; 30/64km piste; 50-220cm base)
Vermont
Killington (1/22 lifts; 4/118km piste; 15-40cm base)
Canada
Alberta
Sunshine (12/12 lifts; 104/109km piste; 40-160cm base)
British Columbia
Whistler Blackcomb (9/27 lifts; 70/200km piste; 0-210cm base)
Japan
Honshu
Gassan–Nishikawa (3/3 lifts; 10/10km piste; 300-630cm base)
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