Jasna, Slovakia, one of the first Eastern European ski areas to open...
This week has seen significant snowfall in the Alps, with some resorts reporting up to 1 metre/39 inches in 24 hours. Meanwhile, the US faces delays in ski area openings, with Jackson Hole among those affected.
The Snow Headlines - November 27th
- Huge snowfalls in the Alps, up to 1m/39 inches in 24 hours, 1.2m/47 inches in 48 hours.
- No respite for US ski areas, Jackson Hole among latest to announce opening delay.
- Avalanche danger is great, at 4 on the scale of 5, in parts of the Western Alps.
- The largest area open at a single resort so far reaches 98km/61 miles.
- Pyrenees 25-26 ski season starts this weekend, as does Eastern Europe's and Japan's.
Snow in the forecast.
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World Overview
After a warm first half of November, the Alps have enjoyed a remarkable final week of the month, with resorts reporting up to a metre/39 inches of snowfall in just 24 hours. Low temperatures for base-building snowmaking have added to the excitement, although avalanche danger has quickly risen to levels 3 and 4 in the west.
Non-glacier ski areas are now opening across Europe, with more than 100 set to be open this weekend. Even Scotland has started early. The amount of terrain offered at open areas is expanding rapidly, with leading resorts now offering close to 100km/61 miles of runs, and more expected this weekend.
Beyond the Alps, the Dolomites, Pyrenees and Eastern Europe are preparing for their openings.
In North America, Thanksgiving has spurred a rush to launch, with states from Arizona to Utah welcoming skiers, putting the US well ahead globally for the number of open resorts. However, it remains unseasonably warm and dry, leading to marginal opening conditions for many, and more big names, including Jackson Hole, have announced delays.
Canada's Whistler Blackcomb has also begun its season, with Eastern Canada's largest resort set to follow within days.
Europe
Austria
Austria's 25-26 ski season continues to gather pace, with a key battleground now being which resort can open the most terrain. Solden has been boasting the most terrain open worldwide, now close to 100km/61 miles of runs this week, with neighbouring Obergurgl not far behind, meaning more than 100 miles of slopes are already available between them.
However, Ischgl, set to open this weekend, could surpass them both. Other centres opening this weekend include some big players like Saalbach Hintertglemm.
In total, around 20 Austrian ski areas are now welcoming skiers, reporting up to 50cm/20 inches of fresh snowfall on higher slopes over the past week.
France
Less than a week into the French ski season, it's hard to believe how well things have gone.
Tignes and Val Thorens opened with around 25km/15 miles of pistes each and a welcome dusting of fresh snow. The real drama arrived last weekend when La Clusaz recorded a metre/39 inches of snowfall in just 24 hours, while Chamonix was buried under 1.2m/47 inches in 48 hours.
Heavy snow has reached valley floors, creating transport headaches and pushing avalanche risk to level 3 ("considerable") in some areas and even level 4 ("high") in others — an unusually elevated danger rating for November.
A spokesperson for Le Grand Bornand tourist office commented, "With more than 50cm/20 inches of fresh snow at 1300m/4265 feet altitude, we have rarely known a better beginning for the winter season in recent years."
Resorts opening this weekend include Alpe d'Huez, parts of the Chamonix Valley, La Clusaz, Montgenevre and Val d'Isere. The latter announced late Thursday that with 105cm/41 inches of fresh snow at 3000m/9843 feet altitude and 58cm/23 inches in the village, it is set to open all sectors of its ski area this Saturday, 29th November.
Italy
Italy's ski season is gathering pace, with Cortina d'Ampezzo, Passo Tonale and Madonna di Campiglio joining Cervinia, Val Senales and others already open. Dolomiti Superski's first resorts are due to open this weekend.
Conditions have turned colder, bringing useful accumulations, although most resorts currently offer only a few kilometres of piste.
However, Cervinia's shared domain with Zermatt has expanded to 85km/53 miles.
The forecast promises regular snowfall with heavier falls on Saturday, and freezing levels dropping to 1500m/4921 feet, boosting early-season cover across the Italian Alps and Dolomites.
Switzerland
Switzerland continues to lead Europe in terms of open ski areas, with more than a dozen operating, and that number is set to almost triple this coming weekend.
Zermatt stands out, offering more than 86km/53 miles of trails (one of the largest areas open in the world right now and likely to increase again this weekend) and snow depths up to 150cm/59 inches.
While most other Swiss centres, as in other countries, currently have only a few kilometres of runs, terrain is expanding and resorts that opened only at weekends are now running daily.
Higher slopes saw up to 50cm/20 inches of fresh snow in 24 hours on Monday/Tuesday, with snowfall reaching valley floors. The snow was heaviest in the west, where the avalanche danger climbed to 3 ("considerable"). Forecasts call for light showers on Thursday, brighter skies on Friday, then heavier snow and gusty winds across Valais and Graubünden this weekend.
Scandinavia
There remain only a handful of ski areas open in Sweden and Finland, each with limited terrain, and this week, there is nothing open in Norway other than the indoor SNO facility near Oslo, but the Scandinavian season is set to accelerate this weekend.
Norway's Beitostølen, Geilo, Oppdal and Trysil are among the resorts due to start their seasons. They'll join already open Levi and Ruka in Finland, as well as Sweden's Tärnaby and Kåbdalis, which report bases of 30–60cm/12 to 24 inches.
Forecasts suggest heavier snowfalls, especially in western Norway, with sub-zero nights preserving cover.
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees are hoping for a strong winter start, with heavy late-November storms blanketing the mountains.
Spain's Baqueira Beret, one of half a dozen Spanish and French resorts opening this weekend, reports it's their best season start since 2019/20. They report initial snow depths of 30–40cm/12 to 16 inches and temperatures as low as –15ºC/5ºF, enabling both natural accumulation and snowmaking. The resort plans to open with 17 lifts and 54km/34 miles of runs across their Baqueira, Beret and Bonaigua sectors.
With forecasts pointing to further snowfall continuing into early December, skiers can expect expanding terrain and excellent early-season conditions across the Pyrenean range.
Eastern Europe
Ski areas in Eastern Europe mostly remain closed for now, but Slovakia's Jasna is now open, helped by low temperatures and 10–20cm/4 to 8 inches of fresh snow. Conditions have been mixed further south, with rain in the Balkans, although cooler air has since arrived. Romania's Carpathians have seen a blend of rain and snow, with cold nights aiding snowmaking.
Forecasts point to colder, snowier weather across the region, with heavier snowfalls expected by Saturday.
Scotland
After the surprise opening of higher terrain at Cairngorm above Aviemore last week, things have taken a downturn with stormy, warmer, wetter weather moving in over the past few days. However, colder, snowier weather is expected to return over the weekend, so it remains to be seen if the cover there can survive the elements and bounce back.
Glencoe has also announced its access chair, used by ski tourers to get quickly to higher, off-piste snow, will reopen earlier than expected next week.
North America
Canada
Whistler Blackcomb, North America's largest ski area, has launched its 25-26 season, although terrain remains limited and skiers are urged to stay on marked runs.
There's much more currently open, the most in North America, at Banff's Sunshine area, which has over 40km/25 miles of slopes and more than 70 runs open, supported by deep snow cover.
Marmot Basin and Revelstoke have also joined the action this week. In the east, Mont Tremblant opened on Thursday after a storm delivered 20cm/8 inches of snow, while Sommet St Sauveur remains the only centre operating so far.
Forecasts call for regular snowfall west and heavier accumulations across Quebec and Atlantic Canada for the weekend.
USA
It's still not great in the US, with mild, dry conditions continuing to dominate much of the west.
This is particularly unwelcome for areas hoping to open for the current Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Several have had to delay and cannot offer anything; for those that are open, conditions are mostly marginal.
Mammoth has the deepest snow and most terrain open, but Jackson Hole is the latest to announce a delayed opening (new date not yet known). Things continue to look more wintry in the East, with more resorts opening in New England and ski areas in Vermont among those posting the most terrain open in the country at present.