Europe Weekly Roundup #253

Hintertux Remains The Last Glacier Ski Area With Significant Terrain Open

• Only four glacier ski areas remain open in the Alps, with rapidly decreasing snow depths due to warm temperatures.
• Austria's Hintertux currently offers the most open terrain, but snow levels have dropped below a meter for the first time this year.
• Upcoming precipitation is expected to be rain rather than snow, as freezing temperatures remain above 3,500 meters even overnight.

THE ALPS REPORT

There remain four glacier areas open for summer skiing and boarding in Austria, Italy, and Switzerland. However, snow depths have been dropping fast at some with the warm temperatures, and open terrain was down a little more from a week ago. The freezing point has been up at 3,500-4,000 m, with daytime temperatures at 3,000 m reaching +10°C and no freeze overnight, with lows still at +2/3°C. There’s been plenty of sunshine, but also rain rather than snow showers at high altitudes. Austria’s year-round Hintertux (0/90 cm / 0/36") has seen its base drop below a meter for the first time this year and is down to 12 km (7.5 miles) of terrain left open, but that's the most anywhere. Switzerland's Zermatt (0/150 cm / 0/60") has just a little less terrain open; it can also be accessed from Cervinia on the Italian side. Fellow Swiss ski area Saas Fee (0/280 cm / 0/112”) has the most snow lying, but a little less terrain available than Zermatt. Finally, Italy’s Passo Stelvio (0/200 cm / 0/80”) is down to 4 km (2.5 miles) of slopes open. Other glacier ski areas in The Alps have started announcing their target opening dates for the coming season, with Austria’s Sölden, Pitztal, and Kaunertal all aiming for late September or early October, less than two months away now.

THE ALPS FORECAST

Temperatures remain above freezing up to 3,500 m altitudes, even overnight, so the thaw will continue, with the best conditions in the early morning when lows will only be a degree or two above freezing. Daytime highs up to +8°C at 3,500 m. Some afternoon precipitation will bubble up, but it’s more likely to be rain than snow with the warm temperatures.