Kitzsteinhorn, Kaprun, Austria, open until the 25th May...
The Northern Hemisphere ski season is almost over with around 50 resorts still open into early May, mainly high-altitude Alpine and Scandinavian areas, while the Southern Hemisphere season has (briefly) begun in New Zealand.
The Snow Headlines - April 30th
- Southern hemisphere 2026 season sees first turns in New Zealand.
- Season ending in Pyrenees this weekend.
- Scottish ski centre staying open into May.
- Arapahoe Basin announces season end over a month earlier than usual.
- Most of remaining areas open in Japan closing this week.
Late season Snow forecast for the Alps, America and Japan.
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World Overview
We are only a month away from the start of meteorological summertime in the northern hemisphere and Europe certainly feels it is entering the final days of the 25–26 season. Around 50 ski areas remain open for the first May weekend, mostly high-altitude or glacier centres in the Alps and the larger Scandinavian resorts.
A handful of outliers remain in places like Cairngorm in the Scottish Highlands and Spain's Sierra Nevada. Late-April warmth has pushed freezing levels above 2,000 m/6,562 feet, leaving the best conditions on upper slopes and in the far north. Slovakia's Jasna has also announced it will reopen this weekend.
Most remaining European ski areas are expected to close after the coming weekend.
North America is down to about 20 ski areas, split fairly evenly between Canada and the Western US and the Eastern side. Spring weather prevails here too and several Western US resorts have closed earlier than normal. After previously announcing a very early closure, Palisades has extended its season again thanks to over 2 metres/6.5 feet of April snowfall.
Japan's season is nearly over, while Hanmer Springs in New Zealand has begun the Southern Hemisphere winter after early snowfalls last week - it was open for two days before thawing early cover closed it again.
Europe
Austria
Austria is the only Alpine nation still in double figures for operating centres, with 10 ski areas operating. Most will close after this weekend, but four plan to continue later into May—more than anywhere else in Europe.
Spring conditions dominate with summit temperatures from –10°C to +5°C, freezing levels above 2,000 m/6,562 feet and mainly rain or wet snow showers except on the highest glaciers. Surfaces refreeze overnight before softening quickly under warm, sunny skies.
Hintertux retains Austria's deepest cover, whilst Ischgl still offers nearly 90% of terrain (around 210 km/130 miles), the most open anywhere worldwide this week, just as it had back at the start of December.
France
France enters its final weekend of the season, with Tignes, Val d'Isère, Val Thorens and Grands Montets in the Chamonix Valley all set to close, leaving Les 2 Alpes as the only French area continuing into May on its glacier. High-altitude terrain remains in full spring mode, with mountain temperatures from –6°C to +6°C and freezing levels well above 2,000 m/6,562 feet, meaning mainly rain or wet snow except on the highest summits. Overnight refreezes persist before rapid softening under bright skies.
Early May looks to stay mostly dry and warm, with valley temperatures rising into the low to mid-20s°C/low to mid-70s°F.
Italy
Italy has seven ski areas still open, but five will close after the first weekend of May, leaving only Val Senales and the Cervinia–Zermatt link operating next week. Cortina d'Ampezzo and Sulden are among those finishing, whilst Livigno, Passo Tonale and Pila also wrap up their seasons. Cervinia–Zermatt retains the most terrain, with over 160 km/100 miles still skiable.
High elevations remain in a classic spring cycle: overnight freezes above 2,000–2,300 m/6,562 feet to 7,546 feet, daytime highs of +4°C to +8°C/39°F to 46°F, freezing levels above 2,400–2,800 m/7,874 feet to 9,186 feet and mostly bright, mild weather. Early May looks warm, dry and increasingly humid.
Switzerland
Half a dozen Swiss ski areas remain open, and all but one are due to finish their 25–26 seasons after the coming weekend. That is earlier than usual, with long-running spring operations at Glacier 3000 and Engelberg's Titlis Glacier unlikely to continue this year. Barring late changes, Zermatt's Matterhorn Glacier Paradise will be the sole area operating from Monday.
High terrain has shifted firmly into late-spring conditions, with summit temperatures swinging from –10°C to +3°C/14°F to 37°F, freezing levels well above 2,000 m/6,562 feet, and most precipitation falling as rain or sleet. Valleys are warming into the mid-teens°C/mid-50s°F.
Scandinavia
As usual for mid-spring, Scandinavia holds the most wintry conditions in Europe, yet many of the 20 or so ski areas still operating are expected to wrap up after the May Day weekend.
Several Norwegian centres will continue, and the first summer-ski operations are close to opening. Most resorts retain 50–90% of terrain, with Hemsedal still near full operation.
The past week brought late-season cold, with summit temperatures from –10°C to +8°C/14°F to 46°F and rapid softening lower down as valleys climbed into the teens°C/50s°F under bright, changeable skies.
Near-24-hour daylight returns with Riksgransen in the Swedish arctic set to begin its annual month of 'skiing under the midnight sun' season on Saturdays and Mondays from this weekend.
Spain
Spain's final two operating ski areas head into what is expected to be their closing weekend, with all Andorran and French Pyrenean centres having wrapped up weeks ago. Spring has taken full control across the range, bringing mild temperatures and fast daily thaw cycles. Mountain highs have sat between +7°C and +15°C/45°F and 59°F, whilst bases have regularly climbed into the high teens and low 20s°C/high 60s and low 70s°F.
In the Pyrenees, Masella and La Molina are now down to roughly 10% of terrain, starting near freezing before warming quickly. In the south, Sierra Nevada is still running about half its slopes, with softening snow under dominant sunshine.
For the final weekend of 25–26, conditions should stay mild, with freezing levels mostly above 2,600–3,000 m/8,530 feet to 9,843 feet, with only brief overnight dips on the highest ridges.
Scotland
Cairngorm continues to defy the encroachment of spring, keeping around a mile of skiing open in the Ptarmigan Bowl, plus a top-rate terrain park, despite valley temperatures pushing 20°C/68°F. The freestyle park has held up well, hosting an event last weekend, with more work being completed on it over the past few days. The White Lady has closed due to widening bare patches.
Glencoe has ended lift-served skiing but is still running its Access Chair for tourers heading to higher-level snowfields. Its all-weather sledging slope also remains open.
North America
Canada
Canada is down to its familiar late-April handful of ski areas, mostly in Alberta and BC, with Quebec's Mount-Saint-Sauveur still preserving a narrow strip of snow. The west has alternated between warm spring sunshine and brief wintry pulses, adding the odd centimetre/inch up high. Lake Louise and Marmot Basin approach their final weekends with 85% and 100% of terrain open.
From Monday, only Sommet-Saint-Sauveur, Whistler and Sunshine continue, under a mild, bright, spring weather pattern.
USA
The Western US is down to only a handful of ski areas, with more major names including Big Sky in Montana and Alta in Utah closing last weekend. Big Sky bowed out after recording 50 cm/20 inches of new snow.
Lift-served skiing continues in California, Colorado, Oregon and Utah, with Mammoth leading for open terrain and snow depth after another 30 cm/12 inches late last week. The Rockies picked up 15–30 cm/6 inches to 12 inches earlier this week as temperatures briefly hovered near freezing.
Final season-end dates remain fluid, but Utah's Brian Head and Brighton and Colorado's Arapahoe Basin and Copper are currently set to finish on Sunday, 3 May.
Warm, dry late-spring weather dominates across the West, with strong sunshine, rising freezing levels and rapid daily softening. Nights stay too mild for a solid refreeze.
On the East Coast, around six centres remain open, most now operating weekends only and often down to just a run or two. Vermont's Jay Peak holds the deepest cover, whilst Sugarbush plans a brief reopening on Saturday 2nd May only when its golf course will also open for the year. Killington continues daily with limited terrain. Sunshine dominates in the East too, with daytime highs reaching the 20s°C/70s°F at base level and upper-mountain temperatures in the teens°C/50s°F. Freezing levels sit well above the summits, so any showers fall as rain and the snowpack softens early each day.