Banff Sunshine Village, Alberta, Canada, looking like it's winter now...
More early snows for the northern hemisphere.
The Snow Headlines - October 26th
- Heavy snowfall in Alberta with the start of Canada's season just a week away.
- More snowfall in the Alps and Pyrenees following temperature drop.
- Final areas close at end of southern hemisphere's 2023 season.
- Still awaiting the first US ski area opening of 23-24 after temperatures rise in the west.
- Up to a foot of snow on high slopes in Scotland at the end of storm Babet.
- US East Coast ski areas see snowfall.
- First resort opens for 23-24 season in Sweden.
snow in the forecast...
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World Overview
The weather feels ever more wintery in the Alps now with some good snowfall reported on high slopes in recent days, including at the eight glacier areas that are already open for their 23-24 seasons.
Temperatures have dropped as low as -10C and there's more snowfall forecast.
Elsewhere in Europe, there's been more snowfall in the Pyrenees, down on Sierra Nevada and in Eastern Europe. Scottish slopes also saw some good fresh snow up high at the end of Storm Babet.
The most wintery conditions continue to be in Scandinavia though where the first resort has opened for 23-24 in Sweden.
In North America there's still no clear sign of anywhere being able to open imminently, so there's a risk that this could be the first October in a while with no ski lifts turning, although we still have a few days left and temperatures are dropping again with snow forecast in the west.
There's been snowfall in the east, but just a first covering so far.
Most promising at present is Alberta, Canada, where ski areas around Banff have had some good falls and the first expects to open for 23-24 a week on Saturday.
All Ski areas in the southern hemisphere have now ended their 2023 season with the last few still open in Argentina and New Zealand closing at the start of this week.
Europe
Alps
Things are looking more promising in the Alps, but it is still October.
The colder weather that began a week or so back after the warm, first half of autumn has continued and after sunny times there's been some fresh snowfall, particularly on the highest slopes. It's particularly good news for already open glaciers that can now offer fresh snow to early arrivals.
That's the case at Passo Stelvio in Italy, now approaching the last week of its 2023 summer ski season. It's due to be joined by a second Italian area, Sulden in Trentino, this weekend.
Austria continues to be the country with the most areas open in the world. Sölden is gearing up to host the opening World Cup races of the 23-24 season this weekend, while Hintertux now has the most slopes open of anywhere in the world with 21km of piste open.
You can also currently ski at the Kaunertal, Stubai or Pitztal glaciers, with a sixth option, Molltal, opening this weekend.
In Switzerland, Saas Fee and Zermatt remain open, both with about 12km of slopes, with the Diavolezza glacier near St Moritz in Engadin expected to open this weekend, a fortnight later than originally planned.
There's still nowhere open in France, with Tignes and Val Thorens currently expected to be the first to open there in a month's time, at the end of November.
The forecast continues to look good with more snowfall expected with 5-10cm accumulations expected above 1500m on each of several days over the coming week.
Scandinavia
Scandinavian ski areas continue to have a wintry feel with some very cold temperatures (down to the minus teens in Lapland) and snowfall both arriving and forecast for the week ahead.
Sweden's first ski opening of 23-24 happened at the weekend with Kabdalis up in Lapland opening a few runs. It joins Finland's Levi and Ruka which have seen more snowfall and look like midwinter now after starting their seasons with ribbons of white snow recycled from last winter on green/brown hillsides three weeks ago.
You can also ski or board fresh snow on the still-open Galdhopiggen glacier in Norway, which is nearing the end of its six-month summer ski season.
North America
Canada
It's looking good in Western Canada with ski areas there posting some of the biggest accumulations in the world this week, BC's Apex reporting over 30cm (a foot) of fresh snowfall with more than a month until its opening date.
It's only a week though until Mount Norquay at Banff plans to open (on the 4th November) and it had a decent dump too so has the potential to be the first in North America - it's certainly the only one to name a target day for its 23-24 season opening.
Lake Louise and Sunshine, also seeing snowfall, as well as Marmot Basin and Nakiska, are set to open a week later on the 10th or 11th, a fortnight away.
There's been cold and a little new snow in the East, Mont Tremblant has its snow guns firing.
USA
An improving picture across the US over the last few days after a rather warm and sunny week slowed efforts to be the first to open.
Snowmaking has restarted in Colorado where the battle continues among a few high areas (Arapahoe Basin, Loveland, Keystone among others) to be the first to open, but it's not yet certain if anyone will make it before November, the start of which is now only a few days away. With snow forecast it's still possible.
Elsewhere there has been fresh snowfall, particularly in the northwest and there have also been some of the first falls of, well, Fall, in the northeast with resorts including Stowe posting pictures of slopes turning white and snow-making guns running.