Snow cannons working overtime at Whakapapa, Mt Ruapehu, New Zealand
Where to Ski in July 2026
July should be the month when the southern hemisphere's ski season really kicks off, and everyone will be hoping it will improve as the first month of the season, June, has been fairly dire in all the main ski nations south of the equator – Australia, Argentina, Chile and New Zealand. The problem, common to them all, has been mild temperatures meaning limited natural snowfall and few snowmaking windows.
Australia has suffered particularly, with ski areas forced to close again after initially promising signs in the first week of June. Local media are claiming it's the worst season start in a decade.
New Zealand resorts repeatedly delayed opening through June, finally opening for the last weekend of last month, and it was a similar story in the Andes.
The only area that's looking pretty normal so far is southern Africa's Afriski in Lesotho.
In the northern hemisphere, July has about 10 ski areas open at the start of the month in Europe and North America, with about half of those expected to end their summer skiing over the next few weeks, including several that formerly tried to stay open into August or beyond. Four do plan to continue through the month and into the next, but that remains to be seen.
Southern Hemisphere
Australia
After a promising start in the first week of June, with cold weather and snowfall, Australia's 2026 season quickly stalled with most centres forced to close the small amount of terrain they'd managed to initially open as cover thawed away. The final weeks of last month did see some improvement, with light natural snowfall and low overnight temperatures allowing some snowmaking, but July starts still not looking great, sadly.
Mount Buller, Corin Forest and Thredbo have all managed to open some terrain thanks to all-weather snowmaking machines. Largest resort Perisher has also kept a small amount open. Everywhere is hoping for more consistent cold and more natural snowfall as winter progresses.
New Zealand
It has been a very challenging start to the 2026 season in New Zealand, with resorts forced to delay their opening plans on multiple occasions through June due to mild, wet and windy weather. Things did finally take a slight improvement on the final weekend of last month, with resorts taking advantage of cold weather for snowmaking and 10 cm to 15 cm/4 inches to 6 inches of natural snowfall to open some terrain, if not a lot so far. Ski areas are hoping for some significant July snowfall arriving soon.
Resorts with at least some terrain open so far include Cardrona, The Remarkables and Mount Hutt. They joined Coronet Peak, which had been the only area already open earlier in June with just one short run and a small terrain park maintained thanks to its recent investment in an all-weather snowmaking machine.
Argentina
It's a similar story in the Andes to Australia and New Zealand, with too little cold and snowy weather so far leading to delayed season starts last month and what's open so far being very limited. There was one 30 cm to 40 cm/12 inches to 16 inches snowfall a week or so back, but not much else.
Just a few Argentine resorts have managed to open so far and have less than 10% of their terrain open. The hope is of full winter arriving early in July, though the forecast does not really suggest this so far.
Chile
Chile has also had a slow start to the season, with only limited June snowfall, although temperatures have dipped to double digits below freezing overnight. Portillo was among the resorts that initially delayed opening, but is now open, albeit with very little of their full domain skiable, as elsewhere.
Africa
The season got off pretty much on schedule at Lesotho's Afriski ski area on 12th June. This is now not just the only lift-accessed ski area left in southern Africa – the only continent with winters in both northern and southern hemispheres – but the whole continent, unless you include indoors in Egypt.
Afriski has a 1 km/0.6 mile main run which is maintained with snowmaking through its cold nights at its high altitude in the Maluti Mountains. It's due to remain open daily through July.
Northern Hemisphere
The northern hemisphere's July starts off with the number of areas open just about in double figures. However, about half of these are set to close through the month, and it's possible that most of the rest may too, depending on conditions.
Europe
France starts July with two centres open. It was supposed to have been three, but Val d'Isère closed after a few weeks' operation last month following some very warm weather in The Alps. The other two will close over the next few weeks, leaving none left open after the 19th.
You can, for now, still ski at Les 2 Alpes, which has been open continuously since early December last year, as well as on the glacier slopes of neighbouring Tignes.
In Austria, it's just the Hintertux glacier open, and it's been posting the deepest snowpack (1.5 m/5 feet) and most terrain open (24 km/15 miles of runs) anywhere in the world through June. Despite this, it had already announced it would close in July (date as yet unspecified) for 6 to 10 weeks before reopening in the autumn, ending its commitment to 365 days' snowsports.
Only the Matterhorn glacier paradise above Zermatt, also accessed from Cervinia, still aims to open year-round.
The sixth option is Italy's Passo Stelvio, which aims to stay open through July. Much of June was favourable to European glaciers, with sub-zero temperatures and fresh snowfall, but the final 10 days of last month saw the freezing point moving well above 4,000 m day and night and some rain rather than snowfall, alas.
Other than The Alps or indoor snow centres, the only other lift-served skiing currently available in Europe is the Galdhøpiggen summer ski in Norway, Scandinavia's highest lift-served terrain. Its altitude and latitude mix gives it a season straight through summer to November, although, unfortunately, most recent years it too has shut down for 6 to 10 week periods between July and September during mild conditions.
North America
Three centres are open as we start July, but most are expected to close later in the month.
The biggest surprise is Timberline on Mount Hood in Oregon, North America's go-to summer ski centre, which formerly opened to early September, then to mid-August, but this year, after a challenging low snowfall winter, says it hopes to make it to 19th July.
The most terrain open as we start the month is at Sunshine ski area near Banff in Canada, which has made a rare summer ski reopening after the other winter extreme to Timberline – a very snowy 2025–26 winter. It has 10 runs and three terrain parks open, but is only operating for a fortnight and plans to close 5th July.
The final option is the hike-to terrain park at Copper Mountain, open to the public Thursdays to Sundays each week through July.
What's Open in The Northern Hemisphere in July, Week By Week
Week Commencing 5th July
Austria: Hintertux
France: Les 2 Alpes, Tignes.
Italy: Cervinia, Passo Stelvio
Norway: Galdhøpiggen
Switzerland: Zermatt
USA: Timberline, Oregon.
Week Commencing 12th July
Austria: Hintertux
France: Tignes.
Italy: Cervinia, Passo Stelvio
Norway: Galdhøpiggen
Switzerland: Zermatt
Japan: Gassan (season usually ends mid-July)
USA: Timberline, Oregon (currently expects to end season on 19th but may lengthen or shorten)
Week Commencing 19th July
Austria: Hintertux
Italy: Cervinia, Passo Stelvio
Norway: Galdhøpiggen
Switzerland: Saas-Fee, Zermatt
Week Commencing 26th July
Austria: Hintertux (has said closing in July but not given date)
Italy: Cervinia, Passo Stelvio
Norway: Galdhøpiggen
Switzerland: Saas-Fee, Zermatt