The last weekend of October delivered the first big snowfall in the Alps, with up to 50cm of snowfall reported above 2,000m altitude. At the same time, temperatures have dipped as low as -15C, allowing snowmaking systems to run to the max for essential base-building work.

It’s already possible to hit the (high) slopes if you’re so keen. Around 20 ski areas are currently open in the Alps, most of them high glacier areas in Austria, Italy and Switzerland. Following the recent snowfall, Verbier has announced it is bringing its season opening forward by four weeks – from November 1 the resort’s Lac des Vaux sector will be open (weekends only), allowing skiers to make their first turns of the season ahead of schedule.

There’s also limited terrain open in some resorts in Finland, Norway and Sweden, which use snow that has been stockpiled under cover from last spring.

In North America, a promising October marked by low temperatures and heavy snowfalls means the ski season has officially started; Keystone, Colorado was the first to open on Saturday, October 25.

Find out when your favourite ski resort opens for winter and how the snow is shaping up below.

Skip ahead to your favourite destination:

• America
• Canada
• France
• Austria
• Switzerland
• Italy
• Eastern Europe, Spain and Andorra

America

• Aspen: November 27
• Beaver Creek: November 26
• Big Sky: November 26
• Breckenridge: November 8
• Copper Mountain: November 7
• Crested Butte: November 26
• Heavenly: November 21
• Jackson Hole: November 29
• Keystone: October 25
• Killington: “As soon as conditions allow”
• Mammoth: November 14
• Palisades: November 26
• Park City: November 21
• Snowbird: November 27
• Solitude: November 8
• Steamboat: November 22
• Sun Valley: November 27
• Telluride: November 27
• Vail: November 14
• Winter Park: October 31

How’s the snow looking?

Anticipation for the 2025/26 season has built throughout October, as temperatures dropped, snowmaking systems fired up, and increasingly heavy snowfalls were recorded. Colorado’s Keystone was first to open, at 3pm on October 25, followed by neighbouring Arapahoe Basin, which opened at 8.30am on October 26. However, most leading US resorts won’t open for another month.

Back to index

Canada

• Banff: November 2
• Big White: November 27
• Fernie: November 28
• Jasper: November 22
• Kicking Horse: December 5
• Lake Louise: November 4
• Panorama: December 5
• Revelstoke: November 29
• Sun Peaks: November 22
• Tremblant: November 27
• Whistler Blackcomb: November 21

How’s the snow looking?

Snow can fall any month of the year on Canadian peaks, and ski areas around Banff and Jasper reported snow during the summer and again in September. October has seen heavy, more widespread snowfall, but the season start is still a couple weeks away. Still, Canada is the first country in the world able to offer early-season skiing on natural snowfall, not reliant on snowmaking or a glacier.

Back to index

France

• Alpe d’Huez: November 29
• Avoriaz: December 12
• Chamonix: November 29
• Courchevel: December 5
• Flaine: December 6
• La Clusaz: December 13
• La Plagne: December 13
• La Rosière: December 13
• Les Arcs: December 13
• Les Deux Alpes: November 29
• Les Gets: December 13
• Les Menuires: December 6
• Megève: December 6
• Méribel: December 6
• Montgenèvre: December 29
• Morzine: December 13
• Serre Chevalier: December 6
• Tignes: November 22
• Val d’Isere: November 29
• Val Thorens: November 22

How’s the snow looking?

It’s looking like midwinter above 2,500m in the French Alps, where resorts like Les Arcs, Val d’Isere and Val Thorens have already seen big accumulations. While nowhere in France opens for glacier skiing in autumn, these early conditions are raising spirits for the winter ahead, even if the season start is still nearly a month away.

Back to index

Austria

• Bad Gastein: November 28
• Ischgl: November 27
• Kitzbühel: November 7
• Lech: December 3
• Mayrhofen: December 5
• Obergurgl: November 20
• Obertauern: November 21
• Saalbach: November 28
• St Anton: December 3
• Schladming: November 21
• Sölden: October 3
• Zell am See: October 11

How’s the snow looking?

Those lucky enough to be sliding on Austrian glaciers right now have been enjoying 20-40cm of fresh powder. Seven glacier areas, including the country’s highest slopes at Pitztal, as well as the formerly year-round Hintertux ski area, have already opened for the season. More than 30km of slopes are open in Sölden – the most in Austria.

Back to index

Switzerland

• Andermatt: November 15
• Arosa: November 15
• Crans-Montana: November 29
• Davos: November 21
• Engelberg: October 25
• Grindelwald: November 15
• Gstaad: November 8
• Laax: November 29
• Saas-Fee: July 19
• St Moritz: October 18
• Verbier: November 29
• Wengen: November 15
• Zermatt: Year round

How’s the snow looking?

Four resorts in Switzerland are now open: St Moritz, Engelberg, Zermatt and Saas-Fee. Saas-Fee’s 1.6m upper base is the deepest in the world, up 20cm after the snowfall over the final weekend of October.There’s also a terrain park above Mürren that’s open, thanks to snow farming (recycling some of last season’s snow stockpiled under covers). The ski season in Verbier will begin four weeks early on November 1, with weekend skiing available, beofre daily operations commence on November 29.

Back to index

Italy

• Bormio: December 5
• Cervinia: October 25
• Cortina d’Ampezzo: November 22
• Courmayeur: November 29
• La Thuile: November 29
• Livigno: November 29
• Madonna di Campiglio: November 22
• Passo Tonale: November 15
• Pila: November 28
• Sauze d’Oulx: December 6
• Val Gardena: December 4

How’s the snow looking?

Three glacier ski areas in Italy (Passo Stelvio, Val Senales and Cervinia) are already open for the 2025/26 season, but most of the big-name Italian resorts won’t open until late November or early December. Temperatures have been dropping and the first snow is falling on the slopes of resorts, including Livigno, which will be the 2026 Winter Olympic venue in just a few months.

Back to index

Eastern Europe, Spain and Andorra

• Bansko (Bulgaria): December 6
• Borovets (Bulgaria): December 20
• Baqueira Beret (Spain): November 25
• Jasna (Slovakia): November 29
• Pas de la Casa (Andorra): December 5
• Sierra Nevada (Spain): November 29
• Soldeu (Andorra): December 5

How’s the snow looking?

There’s nowhere open yet in southern or Eastern Europe, or expected to open before late November. There has been plenty of autumn snowfall on high terrain in Bulgaria, Slovakia, Andorra and Spain, though, raising anticipation levels.

Back to index

This article was first published in September 2023 and has been revised and updated.

• Copy link

• twitter

• facebook

• whatsapp

• email