J2Ski Snow Report - September 25th 2025
J2Ski Snow Report - September 25th 2025
Published : 25-Sep-2025 06:29
Hintertux, Austria, re-opening this coming weekend... with snow!
This week sees the opening of ski resorts in Italy and Austria, while ski areas in Argentina are closing for the season. Fresh snowfall has been reported in the Alps and Scandinavia, previewing the start of the northern hemisphere ski season.
The Snow Headlines - September 25th
- Italy's Val Senales opens for the 25-26 season, and at least two Austrian resorts join it this weekend.
- Most of Argentina's ski areas close this weekend, Catedral and Cerro Castor remain open.
- Number of ski areas open in the Alps set to double this weekend.
- Scandinavia's 25-26 season launches as Norway's Galdhøpiggen Glacier re-opens.
- Snowfall reported in Alberta, Canada, at ski areas near Banff and Jasper.
- First snowfall of autumn in the Pyrenees, along with more on high slopes in the Alps.
- More snowfall up high in the Rockies, but no US resorts open yet.
- Two glacier resorts to start the 25-26 season in Austria this weekend.
- Switzerland's Murren to open its snowpark this weekend thanks to snow farming.
Late season snow forecast for New Zealand.
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World Overview
Spring's arrival in the southern hemisphere is hastening ski area closures, with sleet and rain damaging the thawing snowpack. Most resorts in Argentina and Australia plan to shut by Sunday, though a dozen—mainly in Chile and New Zealand - hope to continue into October.
Meanwhile, autumn in the north has brought fresh snowfall to the Alps, Scandinavia, and the Rockies, along with the first pre-season snow in the Pyrenees and even Scottish slopes.
Snow-farmed stockpiles are being unveiled, with terrain parks and training slopes set to open soon.
Scandinavia's highest glacier ski area is already spinning lifts, and a second Italian glacier resort has re-opened, marking the first uptick in open resorts for months. More are expected to join them this weekend, signalling the start of a slow but promising build-up to the northern hemisphere's new ski season.
Southern Hemisphere
Australia
Australian ski areas are nearing the end of their season, with patchy cloud, cooler temperatures, and light snowfalls at altitude, while rain and sleet are affecting lower levels.
Most resorts aim to stay open into early October, but it remains to be seen if the current deepest snowpacks in the world may lead some to extend operations.
Thredbo leads globally for snow depth (100 cm/39 inches to 195 cm/77 inches) and terrain open (42 km/26 miles), overtaking Perisher, which has scaled back operations to about half its slopes open as the season winds down.
Falls Creek and Hotham are similarly 50-60% open but have much lower bases, in the 50 cm/20 inches to 100 cm/39 inches bracket.
New Zealand
New Zealand's ski season is in spring wind-down mode after a week of rain, sleet, and snow with stormy weather at times.
Most of the country's major centres are staying open into October, but Porters has closed following rain and ahead of a forecasted storm.
The major South Island resorts remain in good shape, with Mount Hutt still fully open and reporting one of the world's current deepest snowpacks, while Cardrona, Treble Cone, Coronet Peak, and The Remarkables also offer nearly full area access.
North Island's Whakapapa and Turoa are improving with ever more terrain open, though little fresh snowfall is currently expected. The South Island, by contrast, looks set to receive significant snowfall in the coming week.
Argentina
Argentina's ski season is nearly over, with most areas now closed until 2026, including Las Leñas.
Southerly Cerro Castor and South America's largest area by uplift, Cerro Catedral, remain open, aiming to run into early October despite the spring thaw. Castor's terrain has dropped from 80% to 50% open, and unfortunately, Catedral has only had a few kilometres of high runs available all season. Both expect cooler air and light showers, but conditions are shifting to typical spring weather.
Chile
Unlike its neighbour, Chile's ski season continues at most of its resorts, with the majority aiming to stay open at least one more week into October.
Valle Nevado has the most terrain open and continues to report deep snow cover. El Colorado (90% open), La Parva, and Portillo (90% skiable) also plan to extend their seasons.
Only Nevados de Chillan and Pillán – Villarrica have closed so far.
Recent spring snowfalls have helped, though rain and sleet have affected conditions. Forecasts suggest mostly calm weather with just light snow flurries possible.
Northern Hemisphere
The Alps
It has been a cold start to astronomical autumn in the Alps, with the third snowfall of the month on higher slopes, this time more widespread, with resorts from Germany's Garmisch to Italy's Livigno reporting a snow covering.
There was also the first snowfall of autumn in the Pyrenees, with Grandvalira and Baqueira Beret both reporting snow on high slopes.
We also now have a fourth glacier ski area open, a second in Italy, with Val Senales joining Passo Tonale. Both now have a few kilometres of slopes available, divided between team training and recreational runs. Val Senales reported 16 cm/6 inches of fresh snowfall on its glacier on Thursday morning.
Switzerland's Saas Fee and Zermatt remain open with more skiing available, about 14 km/9 miles of runs each.
This weekend sees Austrian terrain open for the first time in around six weeks, with Hintertux re-opening and another, closed since last spring - the country's highest slopes at Pitztal - also opening.
A terrain park above Murren in Switzerland will also open this weekend, so we should see almost a doubling of the number of lift-served areas open in the Alps this weekend - from 4 to 7 - with at least two more set to join next weekend.
Scandinavia
As in Austria, Scandinavia's ski season is starting, and 25-26 is now underway.
Norway's Galdhøpiggen glacier has reopened with 30 cm/12 inches to 60 cm/24 inches of snow, including fresh natural cover. It has had fresh snow, and snowfall has been reported on high slopes across the region this week.
In Finland, Levi and Ruka in Lapland are prepping snow-farmed pistes ahead of their October openings. A brief heatwave has passed, and Finland expects more sleet or snow in the far north, while Galdhøpiggen is expected to receive more snow showers with -5°C/23°F lows and sometimes gusty winds.
North America
USA and Canada
There are currently no ski areas open in North America (besides dry slopes and the indoor snow centre in New Jersey). However, Colorado's ski areas have seen another fairly light dusting of fresh snowfall this month, with some resorts posting hopeful photos showing thin cover.
Snowfall was also reported further north over the border at ski areas like Marmot Basin near Jasper in Alberta. If cold, dry weather holds, early openings could arrive within a month; however, the weekend looks mild in most areas, though light snow remains possible at altitude in states like Colorado and Utah and at more northerly latitudes (Canada).
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