Where’s Open For Skiing and Boarding in June 2018?
The start of June marks the turning of the seasons with meteorological summer in the northern hemisphere, winter beginning in the southern.
A low point in ski area numbers open – with less than 20 operational as we enter the month – that’s all about to change over the next few weeks as most of the 100 or so ski areas in the southern hemisphere will be open by the start of July, along with a number of glacier summer ski destinations north of the equator.
Southern Hemisphere
Most of the leading ski resorts in Argentina, Australia, Chile and New Zealand will be opening in June, the majority on 9th, 16th or 23rd of the month.
It’s difficult to know for certain if all will be able to open as hoped, but there have been significant snowfalls at various times in May in all these counties.
Most recently there have been some big snowfalls in the Andes and in New Zealand where Cardrona and Coronet Peak have announced they’ll open early on June 2nd (both resorts) and 3rd (Cardrona only) to preview their conditions. Cardrona has had 90cm of snowfall in the past week or so.
Two New Zealand areas – Happy Valley at Mt Ruapehu and Mt Taranaki already opened on May 31st.
In Africa, Afriski in Lesotho and Tiffindell in South Africa are also scheduled to open near the start of the month.
Europe
The start of June is something of a low point in European skiing with no centres open in France, only one each in Italy and Switzerland, the most in Norway and Austria – altogether a total of 10. The numbers do improve a little through June however with three French areas opening for summer skiing although by the end of the month some of those open at the start will have closed so the totals open when we enter July will be about the same.
First up will be Val d’Isere with its first-time re-opening of winter (non-glacier) slopes for morning skiing for the first half of June thanks to all the snowfall in winter. Les 2 Alpes and Tignes follow later in the month. In Italy the Stelvio Pass ski area has re-opened as Cervinia ends its season – at least until summer skiing begins on the last Saturday of June. In Switzerland only year-round Zermatt is open. This leaves Austria, where five glacier areas are open, but two, the Kitzsteinhorn and Stubai (pictured above) will close at the start of June on the 32rd. This leaves year-round Hintertux and Dachstein as well as the Kitzsteinhorn, which is open in to July. There was quite a lot of fresh snow on high slopes in the alps in late May with up to 35cm reported (pic below)
In Scandinavia all three Norwegian glacier ski areas will be open in June – Folgefonn, Galdhoppigen and Stryn but Riksgransen in the Swedish Arctic Circle which is normally open to mid-summer later this month closed on the last Sunday of May due to poor snow cover this year.
North America
In North America we are down to a handful of options with Squaw Valley closing on the last weekend of May. In California Mammoth Mountain (below last month) is therefore the only area still open, having extended its season by a fortnight so far to June 17th. In Colorado Arapahoe Basin says it will be open to June 3rd, although it too has a history of extending its summer ski season. Timberline on Mt Hood in Oregon is also open, as is the recently re-opened summer ski only destination of Beartooth Basin on the Montana/Wyoming border. Killington decided to call it a day after the last weekend of May as the snow finally gave out (pictured below).
There’s nowhere open in Canada after Sunshine at Banff and Whistler closed in late May, however Whistler’s glacier ski area will re-open for summer snowsports on 9th June through to July.
Asia
Japan’s Gassan ski area should remain open through June.
