J2Ski's Where to Ski in April 2025
J2Ski's Where to Ski in April 2025
Published : 01-Apr-2025 06:54
Go high for the final weeks of the northern hemisphere season; spring conditions, but snow is forecast for parts of North America, and higher mountains in Italy and the eastern Alps.
Fresh snow at Saalbach, Austria, setting up a great start to April skiing.
Where to Ski in April 2025
We're into what is, for most of the northern hemisphere's thousands of ski areas, the last month of the ski season.
Many smaller, lower-altitude areas closed over the final weekends of March, but most of the bigger well-known resorts plan to keep going at least until mid-April - and many to the late Easter weekend (19-21 April). A few hundred will make it through to the end of the month, with some remaining open into May.
It has not really been an epic snowfall winter for much of the skiing world so bases across Europe and much of the US are modest by historical average.
However, most of the big centres have enough to see them through to the ends of their seasons and who knows, this April might mirror the past few and be one of the snowiest months of the season.
There has, however, been a whole lot of snow in Western North America and Japan where spring conditions prevail with the snow lying 3-7 metres deep as we enter April.
Europe
Austria
Austria has some of the lowest-lying major ski areas in the Alps but also some of the highest glacier destinations on the continent - and the differences between these become ever more apparent in April.
Most Austrian ski areas close in the first half of the month, the majority not making it to this year's late easter weekend. In fact, some, including the giant Ski Welt home to Soll, Ellmau, Westendorf and others, already ended their season on the last weekend of March.
Ironically the Ski Welt saw one of its biggest snowfalls of the season – 60cm (two feet), the day after closing – March 31st.
Austria is also home to some famous high-altitude destinations like Ischgl and Obertauern and seven glacier resorts, most of which stay open to May, June or beyond.
Notwithstanding that big dump at the end of March, it has to be said this year has not been a bumper one for snowfalls at low or high altitudes but all remaining resorts have enough snow to see them through to the end of their seasons even in the unlikely event that no more falls in April.
France
French resorts have been posting the deepest snow depths in Europe right through this season although snow depth stats stalled a few months ago and didn't really grow in February and March as they would normally.
The past few seasons have seen France get good snowfall in April and even May, so that may happen again, although there's no guarantee.
Some of the smaller, lower centres have already closed or will do so on the first or second weekends of April, but the big areas keen to have a late season boost with Easter holiday visitors are laying on fun events and keeping the slopes open at least to Easter weekend - and for many of the big names to the end of the month or (Les 2 Alpes, Tignes, Val d'Isere, Val Thorens), into May.
Italy
Italy enjoyed a positive end to March with good snowfalls right across the country's higher ski slopes.
But March also saw temperatures in valleys reach +15C at 1,000m altitudes in the afternoons, so as elsewhere in the Alps much of the remaining terrain open below 2,000m appears as white ribbons on a springtime green background.
Again as elsewhere in the Alps, lower, smaller centres have already ended their seasons or will do so after the first weekend of the month, but the main centres will remain open to mid-month or the Easter weekend. A few, including Cortina d'Ampezzo, Cervinia and Passo Tonale aim to keep going into May.
Switzerland
A similar picture in Switzerland to the rest of the Alps - a below average snowpack but no signs of anywhere having so little they'll be forced to close early and indeed most of the international destination resorts continue to post 80-95% of their terrain open as we start April.
Smaller, lower Swiss ski areas are nearing their natural season end, most on the first or second weekend of April.
A number plan to continue through to Easter or the end of the month and some into May including Zermatt, Engelberg, Samnaun and Gstaad's Glacier 3000.
Scandinavia
Scandinavian centres often get the best reports for snow quality from European skiers each April.
It's no surprise really, as the northerly latitude usually means lower temperatures and there are also long daylight hours.
This winter, as with the rest of Europe, has not been a great one for snowfall in Scandinavia with, again, bases below average.
Here though most areas will be aiming to make it through to May 1st or later.
Although some centres like Norway's Hemsedal have not managed to open all their terrain all season, nor even reach a 50cm base, the biggest ski area, Sweden's Are, starts the month 98% open.
Scotland
Blink and you'd have missed Scotland's 24-25 ski season in terms of ski terrain open with natural snowfall.
Only Glencoe managed to get up to about a third open earlier in the season.
At the start of April, everything is closed, pretty much, other than a small area for beginners maintained with an all-weather snowmaking machine at the base of Cairngorm's ski area.
Glencoe is still officially open and hoping for some late natural snowfall. Glenshee is closed but says it will re-open if there's a big spring snowfall in April.
The Lecht has closed for the season and Nevis Range hasn't managed to open at all, though again it has said it will if adequate snow ever arrives.
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees have not had their best season, although in March things finally picked up and it kept snowing through much of the month, with Andorra's giant Grandvalira passing 200km (95%) of its runs open at last.
So although most centres will probably end their season by mid-April and most by Easter, it's looking like one of the best ends to the season in a while, and certainly, April should provide some of the best skiing this season.
Eastern Europe
Most ski areas in Eastern Europe will be closing either on the first or second weekend of the month. That's if they're not amongst the more than two-thirds of centres in the region, mostly smaller, lower altitude centres, that already closed in March.
There hasn't been much to get excited about over recent weeks in terms of snowfall. Temperatures have been getting as high as +20C in lower valleys, the freezing point well above mountain tops, and the showers there have been often rain or sleet rather than snow.
North America
Canada
Western Canada often comes into its own in mid to late spring and with a cold and snowy March, 2025 is looking like one of those years.
The country's ski areas tend to keep the snow in good condition longer thanks to the northerly latitude usually meaning lower temperatures.
Despite this most Canadian ski areas will end their 24-25 seasons by mid-month. Some, including Banff's three ski areas, Jasper's Marmot Basin and Whistler Blackcomb will carry on through the month and into May.
USA
The western US has had a pretty good snowfall season to date with resorts in the Rockies and on the country's West Coast posting at least a metre of March snowfall, some double that.
It's a less promising picture on the east coast where spells of warm, wet weather have marred conditions there at times.
Most US resorts tend to close in the first half of April, not because the snow isn't still lying metres deep, but because it doesn't make economic sense to keep going.
Jackson Hole, which has posted some of the country's biggest snowfalls is one of those that shuts in early April regardless.
Dozens do continue through to the end of the month and beyond, including Mammoth Mountain, which was posting North America's deepest snowpack, exceeding 5 metres at times, in late March.
Asia
Japan has had an epic season for snowfall with the deepest reported snow depth in the world all winter – 7.9 metres – posted by a ski resort there in the final week of March.
Most resorts have at least a 3-metre (10 feet) snow depth as we start April and many a 4 or 5-metre plus base.
The larger ski areas aim to stay open until the country's 'Golden Week' in early May - so will be open all of April.
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