Fresh September Snow in Norway as 19-20 Scandinavian Ski Season Starts Nears
Norway’s Galdhøpiggen ski area has targeted Friday, 20th September as it’s re-opening day after 10cm (four inches) of snow fell overnight (pictured below) and forecasts pointed to cooler weather in September after the hot temperatures of July and August.
The ski slopes are one of three summer ski areas in Norway, located on the country’s (as well as Scandinavia and Northern Europe’s) highest peak at 2,469 m (8,100 ft) above sea level.
The centre normally has a six month ski season from spring to late autumn, but this year was forced to close in late July by hot weather causing “unprecedented melting). It had originally stated its intention to re-[open on September 15th, but the latest date is five days later on the 20th.
A second Norwegian glacier area, Folgefonn or ‘Fonna’ (pictured above in June) that was due to stay open to early September also closed in July, but won’t now re-open until spring 2020.
Elsewhere in Scandinavia it is just over a month until Ruka in Finland is due to start its eight-month 2019-20 season, one of the longest in the world for a ski areas without a glacier.
Ruka uses snow farming techniques to save the previous season’s snow under cover through the summer and has already announced that it’s 2019-2020 season will start on October 4th at 9:30am with three slopes open in the Saarua area.
