Although most ski areas in the northern hemisphere will be ending their season in or before April, for half a dozen ski centres in Asia, Europe and North America their seasons are just about to begin.
Different to the summer glacier openings of up to a dozen or so ski centres in the Alps, which have already enjoyed a regular winter season, these areas are only open from mid-late spring into summer.
That's the case for Bjorkliden and Riksgransen ski areas in the Swedish Arctic, which opened for a three-month season to mid-May in late February. Riksgransen then plans to reopen for three days over midsummer in late June this year, with skiing and boarding under the midnight sun.
On April 12th they'll be joined by Japan's only summer ski area, Gassan, which usually opens when a road can be cut through the snow – normally 5-10 metres deep, and the lift dug out. The snow tends to melt quite fast but there's so much of it, upper runs normally manages to stay open into July.
Norway has three summer-only glacier areas with the first, Galdhopiggen, planning to open in May 8th this year. Fonna will follow a fortnight later on the 23rd with Stryn last to join them on June 1st.
That's the same day that Italy's summer only resort, Passo Stelvio, will open for 2024 (pictured above in June last yuear_
The other summer-only area is in North America where Beartooth Basin on the Montana/Wyoming border usually opens late May. It hasn't named a day yet, the date usually tied to the local highway re-opening for summer. Unfortunately, it has only managed to open for 2-3 weeks for the past few years.