Warm Weather Pushes Freezing Level Above 3,000m Across the Alps

• Up to 30cm (12") Fresh Snow on Europe’s Highest Alpine Slopes
• European Ski Season Fades Fast—Only 50 Resorts Open This Weekend
• Austria’s Glacier Resorts Extend Spring Skiing Into May
• Riksgränsen Holds Firm as Last Open Scandinavian Ski Area

EUROPE OVERVIEW

Europe’s 24-25 season is fast approaching its end now. Last weekend, almost 100 ski areas were still open, and about 50 remain open for this coming first weekend of May—but after that, we’ll drop down to single figures for the first time since last October.

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. There’s been a mix of sunshine and showers, with the highest slopes seeing up to 30cm (12”) 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—but two other centres remain open until Sunday: Germany’s Zugspitze Glacier and Spain’s Sierra Nevada, Europe’s most southerly ski area.

AUSTRIA REPORT

Now that Easter is behind us, Austria has the most ski areas still open in the Alps—a mix of snow-sure centres famed for their abundant natural cover and snowmaking, and glacier ski resorts, of which the country still has more operating outside the main ski season than any other.

In the former category, and approaching their final weekend of the 24-25 season, are Ischgl (45/45cm / 18/18”) and Obertauern (15/50cm / 6/20”). Actually, Obertauern will close at the end of Thursday, having made it to May. Ischgl is still posting the most terrain open in the country at nearly 160km (100 miles) of runs.

Glaciers open later into May or beyond include the Kaunertal (0/110cm / 0/44”), Kitzsteinhorn (0/250cm / 0/100”), Stubai (15/270cm / 6/108”), and Mölltal (0/140cm / 0/56”), with Hintertux (0/220cm / 0/88”) operating year-round. Two glaciers, though—Pitztal (5/210cm / 2/84”) and Sölden (0/240cm / 0/96”)—will close at the end of this weekend.

The past week has seen the usual springtime weather mix of sunshine and showers, warm temperatures in valleys, and cool conditions up high. Many centres have posted 7-15cm (3-6”) light snowfalls up high too.

AUSTRIA FORECAST

Largely sunny for the remainder of the week, with daytime highs getting up above 5°C at high elevations and 20°C+ at 1,000m. The freezing point will move up above 3,000m—above the height of most Austrian ski areas, even most glaciers.

FRANCE REPORT

The French ski season is in rapid wind-down too, with four centres still open but three of them closing this weekend. Tignes (69/240cm / 28/96”) and Val d’Isère (31/178cm / 12/72”) have both reported 20-30cm (8-12”) snowfall totals on high slopes this week, as snow showers have continued up high, with rain at lower levels and sunny spells in between the showers. They still have about half their slopes open.

Europe’s highest resort, Val Thorens (150/200cm / 60/80”), has also had fresh snowfall this week and reports about 130km (80 miles) of runs still skiable. From next week, only Les 2 Alpes (10/285cm / 4/114”) will be open, aiming to keep 1,000 vertical metres of terrain open—between 3,600m and 2,600m altitudes, conditions permitting—through May. Fortunately, it’s reporting one of the deepest snowpacks in Europe right now.

FRANCE FORECAST

Largely sunny weather is forecast, although with the chance of light snowfall on the highest slopes. The freezing point gets up above 3,000m in the afternoons, and temperatures in valleys will top +20°C.

ITALY REPORT

Seven Italian ski areas are still open at the start of May, but—barring any last-minute season extensions—only one, Cervinia (35/230cm / 14/92”), will still be open next week, benefiting still from the more than a metre (40”) of snowfall it received just before Easter.

There have continued to be snowfalls on higher slopes, with Livigno (0/85cm / 0/34”), one of those closing on Thursday having made it to May, posting a 12cm (5”) accumulation at the weekend. High terrain at Cortina d’Ampezzo (10/90cm / 4/36”) is also still open to Sunday, as is the Presena Glacier (10/150cm / 4/60”) near Passo Tonale. Macugnaga (0/60cm / 0/24”) and Val Senales (10/140cm / 4/56”) are also open up to the 4th.

Cervinia, though, was still posting nearly 100 miles (160km) of slopes open, including linked runs at Zermatt, over the weekend.

ITALY FORECAST

Predominantly sunny weather, with the freezing point moving up to 2,500-3,000m altitudes for the first few days of May—meaning a continuing thaw at almost all levels. Valley temperatures reaching +20°C, overnight lows still not getting below freezing at 2,500m some nights, and occasional light showers.

SWITZERLAND REPORT

Plenty of sunshine in the Swiss Alps over the last seven days, but the weekend did see temperatures drop and some snowfall on high slopes, with rain below. Engelberg (0/131cm / 0/52”) posted one of the bigger accumulations, with 11cm (4”) up on its Titlis glacier waiting for Saturday morning skiers.

It’s one of four Swiss ski areas still open but closing on Sunday, which will leave only Zermatt (10/105cm / 4/42”) open in the country next week. It still reports half of its slopes—nearly 160km (100 miles) of runs—open. Samnaun’s ski area (5/80cm / 2/32”), linked to Austria’s Ischgl; the Engstligenalp ski area (50/124cm / 20/50”) near Adelboden; and the Diavolezza glacier (20/70cm / 8/28”) near St. Moritz are the others still open.

SWITZERLAND FORECAST

The current showers are expected to diminish in the latter half of the week, with much more sunshine—but it is also expected to get much warmer, the freezing point moving above 3,000m and staying above zero to high levels even overnight, accelerating the spring thaw.

SCANDINAVIA REPORT

About 20 Scandinavian ski areas remain open—the most of any part of Europe—although the vast majority plan to close after this weekend, with some on May 1st.

It’s been a week of mixed weather conditions, but ski areas in the far north—including Norway’s Narvik (30/70cm / 12/28”) and Sweden’s Riksgränsen (75/176cm / 30/70”), where skiing under the midnight sun returns next week as 24-hour daylight reaches its latitude—have both reported mostly subzero temperatures still and 15-30cm (6-12”) of fresh snowfall over the last seven days.

Riksgränsen will be the last Scandi area open, with more than three more weeks of its season left—although Norwegian glacier summer ski areas will start opening for their 2025 seasons before it closes on May 25th.

Conditions still look good up in Finland, with most areas posting 80-100% of their slopes open, including Ylläs (62/90cm / 25/36”), which now has the most terrain skiable in the region at over 50km (31 miles).

Elsewhere, the region’s largest area, Sweden’s Åre (0/13cm / 0/5”), which has the most terrain in Scandinavia, has dropped to less than half its area skiable and a very thin base. It closes on Sunday.

SCANDINAVIA FORECAST

Sunshine and light rain/sleet/snow showers. Overnight lows touching freezing or getting a few degrees below south of the Arctic Circle, but daytime highs reaching +12°C will continue the thaw at pace. Much colder further north in the Arctic Circle, with daytime highs only a few degrees above freezing and overnight lows still down below -10°C.