Re-publication :- our Snow Report Summary, being the text up to "The Alps", is free to re-publish, but must be clearly credited to www.J2ski.com with text including "J2Ski Snow Report" linked to this page - thank you.
Here is our guide to where to ski in September.
This is the month in which the new ski season begins to show the very first signs of getting underway in the Alps, and the rest of the Northern Hemisphere.
Summer skiing is pretty much over and after a brief closure period the first of the high glacier ski areas begin to re-open for long seasons through to spring next year.
How well winter 2015-16 will start remains to be seen as after a long hot summer, glacier snow cover is generally very thin, although there was a dusting of fresh snow last week, and cooler temperatures are in the forecast.
There's not normally anywhere open in North America but if it's cold snowmaking may begin on the highest slopes in the Rockies aiming for an early October opening.
It's also the month when most ski areas in the southern hemisphere close at the end of their winter's. In most cases 20-15 has been a good one. After a slow start there have been huge snowfalls in South America and Australia and New Zealand's slopes are also in good shape after regular top ups of the white stuff.
September 2015 Snow Headlines
- Snow returns to the Alps after a long hot summer as first autumn glacier openings near.
- More huge snowfalls in South America set up resorts for remainder of season.
- 2015-16 ski season scheduled to start on glaciers in the Alps from mid-September.
- Big Australian snowfalls for end of August.
- Strong El Nino forecast for Pacific may mean huge snowfalls next winter in North America... we hope.
- Superb conditions in Chile
The Alps
Austria
September is a big month in the Austrian Alps with up to eight glacier ski areas opening through the month or at the start of October. In fact by mid-October there's often more areas open in Austria than the rest of the Northern Hemisphere combined.
As we enter September, however, the choices are limited. Year-round Hintertux is open of course and reported fresh snow in the last few days of August – although cover is greatly diminished, down to 50cm up top. With temperatures well above freezing on the glacier for long periods this summer. 18km of runs are open. The Molltal glacier is open too, with three runs open and a 90cm base – the Austrian Alpine ski team have been in training there in recent weeks.
The Pitztal glacier hopes to open for the season on September 18th , Kaunertal on the 19th and Solden on the 21st, with the Kitzsteinhorn following on 3rd October – all are snow cover dependant.
Finally the Dachstein and Stubai glaciers say they hope to open from 'mid-September' but it's weather dependent.
France
With Les 2 Alpes ending its summer ski season on the last Sunday of August there are currently no ski areas open in France. Tignes will be the first to open for 15-16 there in early October.
Italy
It's been sunny on the glaciers in Italy too of course but Passo Stelvio still reports six slopes out of six open and a 3m/10 foot base. It is open through to November. Cervinia will remain open through the first week of September – the last of the summer glacier areas that doesn't stay open anyway through the autumn to keep going. It reports everything still open including the link to Zermatt and its terrain park. But when Cervinia closes another option is due to re-open on the 18th – conditions permitting – the Val Senales glacier.
Switzerland
Zermatt is open of course, as it tries to be every day. Recent reports say the depth on the glacier is 1.4m with 18km of runs open.. Its neighbour Saas Fee is the other open Swiss centre at present, and through September. Here there are 20km of runs open and a 65cm base.
Scandinavia
Norway
The summer ski slopes at Folgefonn are currently open with the world's deepest reported snowbase of 5 metres. The centre plans to stay open until mid-September, they say, with no firm decision on closing day yet. Galkdhoppigen is also open, with a 1.8m base, and plans to stay open to October.
North America
The snowfield on the Timberline glacier in Oregon had to close early after a big thaw it was reported, so there's currently no lift-served skiing in North America. However Colorado reported a few of its coldest days ever in August and a snow dusting near Winter park, raising hopes of a snowy autumn. Snowmaking often begins at high resorts like Loveland by the end of September aiming for an early October opening. There are also reports that after a five year drought a strong 'El Nino' may bring lots of precipitation to the West Coast this winter.
Southern Hemisphere
New Zealand
Some pundits have been excitedly suggesting that 2015 is the best ski season 'ever' in New Zealand – regular powder snow top ups, good base depths and largely good conditions right across the country means most resorts are in great shape for the final month or so of the season. Treble Cone is reporting the deepest snow base in the country at 3.2m (nearly 11 feet).
Australia
September is normally the last month of the ski season for most Australian resorts, although some stay open to early October. It's looking like a good one anyway with some good snowfalls in the last week of august, including 30cm/a foot in 24 hours reported at Perisher. This is on top of fairly good (for Australia) 60 – 120cm bases across the country's snow fields.
South America
Argentina
Argentinian slopes are in great shape for the final weeks of the season. Temperatures are well below zero, there have been regular good snowfalls throughout August with most areas adding another foot or so in the last week of last month, and bases are up around the 1.5-2m mark. Chapelco and the largest area Catedral both report the country's deepest snow packs on upper slopes with 1.8m (six feet) of snow lying.
Chile
It has been quite a roller coaster of a season in Chile with a snowless first month followed by regular snowfalls including not one but two of the biggest ever recorded, each bringing over five feet of snow to Chilean slopes. The snow has kept coming and as a result conditions are excellent with most of the country's areas reporting around 2m bases. Most are open through September.
Africa
Southern Africa's two ski areas of Afriski in Lesotho and Tiffindell in South Africa are both reported to have closed for the season on the last Sunday of August after a snowier than usual winter 2015.