It's been warm, but the snow's hanging on in Ischgl, Austria.
Whilst western North America received up to 60 cm/24 inches of snow, most ski areas have closed or are closing this weekend as spring conditions dominate across most of the northern hemisphere. Parts of Scandinavia continue to offer the strongest late-season conditions with fresh snow and cold temperatures.
The Snow Headlines - April 9th
- Up to 60 cm/24 inches of snowfall in western US but too little, too late for most areas.
- Despite record snow depths, most Pyrenean ski areas have closed or will close this weekend.
- Heavenly joins growing list of western US ski areas to end their seasons early.
- Still open Scottish ski areas report fresh snow and great conditions for Easter week.
- Japan's lone summer ski area starting its 2026 season to July this weekend.
Snow forecast for the Alps, America and Japan.
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World Overview
After a dramatic end-of-March and early-April storm cycle that saw ski areas receive up to 1.5 m/59 inches of spring snowfall in 7 days, Europe has slipped back into a quieter, spring weather pattern. Only scattered light snow has been reported, while freezing levels have surged to unusually high altitudes across the Alps, Dolomites and Pyrenees.
In several regions the zero-degree line has climbed above the highest summits, producing rapid melt on the slopes and valley temperatures pushing beyond +20°C.
With most resorts already approaching their scheduled closing dates, many wrapped up operations after Easter, and the majority of those still spinning lifts are due to finish this Sunday. Farther north, Scandinavia, parts of Eastern Europe and Scotland have held onto more wintry conditions, with Cairngorm enjoying one of its strongest Easter periods in years.
Across the Atlantic, a brief cooldown in the western US delivered up to 60 cm/24 inches of snow, but it came too late for many areas. Western Canada continues to offer the most reliable late-season conditions, while the US East Coast has finally started to thaw.
Europe
Austria
Austria saw its biggest snowfalls of the entire winter around 26–27 March, when more than half its ski areas had already shut for the season. Some regions collected as much as 1.5 m/59 inches of snow in a week.
The following days stayed unsettled, with warmer air pushing valley temperatures to around +20°C and lifting the freezing level to 2,000–2,500 m/6,562–8,202 feet, leaving snow only on higher slopes and glaciers.
After Easter, most remaining resorts closed, but roughly 20 per cent of the larger, higher ones continue to operate and there have been some light snowfalls on higher terrain over the past few days. The Arlberg around St Anton and Lech as well as Ischgl Samnaun both still have about 200 km/124 miles of slopes open. Hintertux Glacier has now reached a 3 m/10 feet base, the first to reach that stat in Austria this winter.
France
After heavy late-March snowfalls that delivered over a metre/39 inches on higher slopes, France has settled into a sunnier, mostly dry pattern, with only light high-altitude top-ups reported. The earlier storms left exceptionally strong bases, the deepest in Europe, even as some lower resorts begin winding down.
Most major destinations remain open through this weekend, and many will continue well into late April or in a few cases early May.
There's more fresh snowfall in the forecast again now too – 20–50 cm/8–20 inches early next week.
Italy
Most of Italy missed much of the recent heavy snow, although resorts on the northern and western borders, plus parts of the Apennines, did see meaningful accumulations. In fact Campo Imperatore, one of the country's more southerly areas, saw a huge 1.5 m/59 inches 48 hour snowfall making media headlines, the most in the world in the past week.
Elsewhere in Italy, sunshine has dominated, freezing levels have risen above 2,000 m/6,562 feet and lower valleys have reached the low +20s°C. Around a quarter of Italian ski areas had closed by Easter, though over half remain open until this coming weekend.
Switzerland
Swiss resorts recorded some of Europe's and even the world's largest late-March snowfalls, with Engelberg and Frutigen each reporting up to 1.5 m/59 inches over seven days. This gave a major late-season lift, but spring returned last week as freezing levels rose to 2,000–3,000 m/6,562–9,843 feet and slopes around 2,000 m/6,562 feet reached +10°C. Sunshine dominated, with only brief light snow showers. Most terrain is now in full thaw below 3,000 m/9,843 feet.
The 4 Vallées and Zermatt/Cervinia currently lead Switzerland with about 300 km/186 miles still open.
More snowfall is expected to roll in for higher terrain on Sunday/Monday to start the new week.
Scandinavia
Scandinavian mountains have held onto wintry conditions for another week, with 50 cm/20 inches+ 7-day totals reported at resorts like Norway's Trysil and temperatures staying low. Daytime highs at base level have only nudged a few degrees above zero, while upper-mountain lows have dipped to around –12°C, remaining below freezing even during the day.
Since the weekend it has turned sunnier but stayed cold. Most leading Scandi centres remain open into late April or early May.
Pyrenees
Although the Pyrenees still hold some of their deepest snow in years, most resorts plan to close this coming weekend, including Andorra's Grandvalira (Soldeu, Pas de la Casa), despite reporting 40 cm/16 inches of new snow this week and reaching a season-high base of 3.5 m/11 feet only days ago. For now, it continues to offer over 85 per cent of its 180 km/112 miles of terrain, the most in the region.
The past week has turned mostly sunny, with freezing levels above 3,000 m/9,843 feet and valley temperatures near +20°C.
France's Cauterets is among the few ski areas expected to stay open into next week.
Scotland
Scotland's impressive 2025–26 season is still going strong at Cairngorm, where roughly a third of the terrain remains open.
Glencoe continues to offer around six skiable runs, mainly for confident skiers, alongside beginner facilities on its all-weather dry slope.
Good Friday delivered excellent conditions before Storm Dave disrupted weekend operations, though both centres still picked up fresh snowfall thanks to low temperatures. With the storm now cleared, this week has brought fresh snow cover and brighter skies and some of the best conditions of the season across the remaining open areas.
Eastern Europe
Early April has kept winter hanging on in Eastern Europe, with Bulgaria's Bansko and Slovakia's Jasná among the resorts seeing repeated fresh snowfalls and great conditions resulting. The past week mixed sunshine with showers, but slightly colder temperatures than the western Alps meant many fell as sleet or snow, adding 10–20 cm/4–8 inches.
Most ski areas have now closed and more will finish this weekend, though Jasná intends to run until Sunday the 19th.
North America
Canada
The season is winding down in Canada as elsewhere in the northern hemisphere, but winter still has a grip on the west, despite a slightly drier spell and several resorts, including Big White and Sun Peaks, wrapping up after Easter. Most remaining areas are expected to close after this weekend, leaving only a handful operating next week, with Banff and Whistler among the few continuing into May.
Upper-mountain temperatures remain below freezing, while bases have climbed to around +10°C in sunny afternoons.
Across in eastern Canada, milder mid-spring conditions dominate. Many centres closed after Easter as bases stayed above zero and precipitation fell mainly as rain.
USA
A long-anticipated return to wintry weather briefly hit the US West Coast late last week, dropping up to 60 cm/24 inches of snow on higher slopes before temperatures rebounded into springlike warmth and the thaw resumed. Many resorts that held on through Easter closed on Sunday or Monday, including major names such as Heavenly.
Only the usual late-season specialists remain, with Mammoth Mountain in one of the strongest positions thanks to a deep snowpack and most terrain still open. The Rockies also saw a welcome snowfall, but mild, sunny weather has quickly returned here too with more resorts closing early.
In the East, rain over Easter damaged existing snow cover before colder air brought brief snow showers.