Final Weekend Of Season For Ski Areas in 10 Countries
Final Weekend Of Season For Ski Areas in 10 Countries
Published : 03-May-2025 09:18
Although most northern hemisphere ski areas have now closed for the season and much of the snowfall focus has switched to the southern hemisphere (resorts in New Zealand have reported up to an estimated 1.32m/4 feet over the past few days) around 100 areas, the majority in Japan and the USA, kept operating into May. Of these about a quarter, in 10 countries, are due to close at the end of Sunday.
They include several areas believed to be the last open in their respective countries including Germany's Zugspitze glacier and Spain and Europe's most southerly ski area, Sierra Nevada.
Those closing Sunday also include Austria's Ischgl, Pitztal, Solden – which have been open for up to 8 months; Canada's Lake Louise and Marmot Basin; Pyha, Ruka, Saariselkä and Yllas in Finland; Tignes, Val d'Isere and Val Thorens in France.
Austria will still have five glacier areas open next week but for Finland it'll just bed Levi and for France it's just Les 2 Alpes.
Switzerland's Adelboden, Diavolezza Glacier (near St Mortitz), Engelberg, Glacier 3000 (near Gstaad and Samnaun are closing, in Italy Cortina d'Ampezzo's Col Gallina and the Val Senales glacier which will just leave the Cervinia-Zermatt cross-border ski area open in the two countries. With Hemsedal and Narvik closing all of Norway's resorts are believed to be closed from Monday but it's three glacier ski areas are expected to start opening from next weekend.
Elsewhere, in Japan, dozens of ski areas will close at the end of Tuesday, 6th May, the end of the annual Golden Week celebrations in the country. A few centres there will stay open though including the Gassan Glacier summer ski area which opened for 2025 a few weeks ago and is currently posting the world deepest base at around 9 metres.
More than two dozen ski areas will remain open in the US after the weekend, the most of any country in the world, although many now only opening weekends. They include several that have kept extending their seasons including the Arizona Snowbowl which will now also open Saturday, May 10; Sunday, May 11; Saturday, May 17; and Sunday, May 18.
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