J2Ski reports that May sees most of the few ‘still open’ ski areas in the northern hemisphere end their 2013-14 ski seasons and excitement build in the southern hemisphere for the start of winter 2014, just days away by the end of the month.
But while thousands of northern hemisphere ski areas are closed for the season by the end of April, dozens do soldier on in to May and some even in to June and then the summer months.
It’s good to know that May 2014 skiing is looking better today (May 1st) than it did a week again some of the areas where the lifts are still turning thanks to big snowfalls in parts of the alps and western North America over the last few days of April.
Ironically, say J2Ski.com, the falls of up to a metre in 72 hours were the biggest of the winter in parts of California, but they came after 95% of the state’s areas had closed for the season, which had been one of the worst for snow cover in years due to a drought meaning almost no snow fell from November to February.
May is traditionally one of the two quietest months for skiing around the world (along with September) with most northern hemisphere areas closed by the first weekend (even many summer ski glacier areas which close for a month or two before re-opening), and the southern hemisphere’ ski season not getting started until June. But there remain plenty of options to choose from if you need a snow fix, and the options are listed below.
So here’s the J2Ski breakdown of what’s likely to be open where over the next 31 days:
Austria
Austria normally has more ski areas open than any other in the northern hemisphere for nearly six months from late spring right through to mid-autumn with eight glacier ski areas to choose from.
Things are looking good on those glaciers at the moment with bases built up through the winter, including a healthy snowfall in the last few days of April.
Not all are operational right through the summer however, in fact only the Hintertux glacier endeavours to be, although the Dachstein, Kaunertal, Kitzsteinhorn and Stubai glaciers should be open to June and July.
The Molltal, Pitztal and Solden glaciers are all scheduled to close at the start of May and re-open in summer or autumn.
France
France is the only one of the ‘big four’ ski nations in the Alps where no ski area is expected to be open at the end of May.
Tignes and Val Thorens in the Alps and the Pic du Midi in the Pyrenees are expected to be the last centres in the country to close, at the end of the day on Sunday, May 11th. All have nearly 2m of snow lying on upper slopes so should be good for this final week or so.
In addition Chamonix and Val d’Isere are open to this weekend only (closing May 4th).
Alpe d’Huez, Les 2 Alpes, Tignes and Val d’Isere are expected to re-open for periods in June and July for summer skiing and boarding.
Italy
With the decision by Val Senales to stop offering summer skiing, the spring skiing options in Italy are looking ever more reduced. A few resorts including Cortina and Cervinia are open for the first few days of May, but after that only Passo Tonale’s glacier slopes on Presena above, which have boasted the world’s greatest snow depth since last winter – still at 5m at the start of May, seems likely to be open throughout the month. A second Italian glacier option, Passo Stelvio, will open open 31st May then Cervinia will re-open in the summer for glacier skiing liked to Zermatt.
Switzerland
Thanks to Zermatt, Switzerland offers the highest slopes in Europe at nearly 3,900m, one of the continent’s biggest glacier ski areas with an 800m vertical equalling the best in the southern hemisphere (Zermatt again) and offers skiing 365 days a year, weather permitting (at Zermatt). With Zermatt receiving 50cm of fresh snow at the end of April and having a 2m+ base on the glacier, May conditions look good. There are other Swiss options in May though – The long descents of the Diavolezza glacier near st Moritz are often open for much of the month and Engelberg (with a 3.5m base as we start May) plans to be open right through to the last weekend of the month.
Rest of Europe
Finland
The Finnish ski season looks set to end earlier than usual as Ruka ski area says it expects to close on May 11th this season, the earliest end to its skiing in 10 years.
Although most resorts will be closed by then, the ski area in northern Finland has built a reputation for having the longest ski season for a non-glacier resort in the world – thanks to its northerly latitude and comprehensive snowmaking. 2014 will however be the first season since 2003-4 that Ruka has not been open in to June.
It will still have been a long season though, Ruka usually opens in October and this season was no different – the area will nearly make it to seven months of ski operations, having been open since October 19th last year.
It will also make its target 200+ day season, with 205 days predicted, although that is the shortest since 2001-02 which was a mere 200 day ski season.
Iceland
Whilst the ski season at most European resorts has already started to wind down, it is still very much alive and kicking in the north of Iceland where – due to the region‘s northerly latitude – it runs until the end of June.
The area is home to seven well-equipped and flood-lit ski resorts – although that’s not usually an issue at this time of year with near 24 hour daylight approaching fast and the chance to ski under the midnight sun from mid-May.
The ski areas to consider (Check to ensure operational) are Sauðárkrókur-Tindastóll (tindastoll.is/skidi); Siglufjörður ski area (skardsdalur.is); Tindaöxl (skiol.fjallabyggd.is/is/forsida); Dalvík (skidalvik.is) and Hlíðarfjall (hlidarfjall.is).
Norway
Many of Norway’s conventional ski areas will close by the first weekend of May, but one of the country’s leading resorts, Hemsedal, has recently announced it will stay open to May 11th due to the great snow lying nearly 2m deep. The country’s three glacier summer ski areas are also open or opening. Folgefonn opened in late April and Galdhoppigen and Stryn are scheduled to follow shortly, the former on 29th May.
Scotland
After Britain’s extreme winter brought ‘weird weather’ to the Scottish hills which meant snow piled up to 4m deep, particularly in the Western Highlands, with no snow and little frost in the valleys and a seemingly endless cycle of storms up top, things have settled down a good deal in recent weeks but snow depths are still good at Cairngorm (Aviemore), Glencoe and Nevis Range and it initially seemed likely that most of these would be open through May.
“The current settled weather and sunshine is finally allowing us to really enjoy the massive dumps of snow we got over the winter. The cold nights are firming up the snowpack which softens in the morning sun, giving great sliding conditions. As we expect at this time of year, it’s the ski areas in the west and central Highlands which still have good snow. Although April’s hot sun has melted snow further east and on the lower slopes, we could well be skiing into May this year,” said Chair of Ski Scotland, Heather Negus at Easter.
However Nevis Range decided to end their season on April 27th last weekend and Glencoe and cairngorm also look likely to close after the first weekend of May, more due to lack of business than lack of snow it seems.
Sweden
Although some Swedish areas remain open for the first few days of May, it’s Riksgränsen, the long standing title holder of ‘Spriong skiing capital of Europe’ that comes in to its own this month.
Located 200km within the Arctic Circle, Riksgränsen is one big terrain park and has the novelty of offering skiing under the midnight sun with 24 hour daylight from mid-May onwards. It is normally open for midsummer skiing in late June.
North America
Canada
Although there’s lots of snow left on the ground in Canada, only three of the country’s resorts will be open beyond the first weekend of the month, although they do include three of the four largest.
Lake Louise, which had been due to close on May 4th, has instead decided to stay open to May 11th due to the great snow. It’s neighbour Sunshine, along with Whistler Blackcomb, plan to last another week and be the last in the country to close on May 19th. All three have bases around 2m so should have no problems maintaining cover for the final week of their seasons.
USA
May is off to a good start in Western USA with some of the biggest snowfalls of the whole ‘winter’ season occurring in the last week of April in California.
Mammoth, one of only two areas still open in the state, got a metre of fresh snow which should set it up well for May. It has announced it will stay open at least to the 25th. The other area, Alpine Meadows in North Lake Tahoe, will stay open to May 11th.
Other ‘still open’ options in Western North America include Arapahoe Basin in Colorado (likely to be open to June), Snowbird in Utah, Mt Bachelor and Timberline in Oregon (the latter open to August) and Crystal Mountain in Washington State.
On the East Coast Killington in Vermont has still not decided on a closing date.
Japan
Japan does not really offer glacier skiing but some resorts are open to the end of may, including Hakuba.
The main late-spring-skiing destination is Gassan, a small area which, rather like Riksgransen, is normally only open from April to June or July.
Southern Hemisphere
Although resorts in Australia, New Zealand and South America very occasionally open early after big snowfalls, most do not plan to open until early June in to July.
However in southern Africa two ski areas in South Africa and Lesotho are usually the first to open in the southern hemisphere each year.
Afri-Ski (afriski.net) in Lesotho officially opens June 5th but may open sooner if conditions are good. It and Tiffindell (tiffindell.co.za) in South Africa has limited skiing compared to the big resorts of Europe and North America, or indeed other southern hemisphere areas, with only about a kilometre of pistes each and may rely on snowmaking if there’s no natural cover. But you’re skiing in southern Africa, in summer, so who cares?
Indoor Snow and Dry Slopes
If you need a quick snow fix closer to home there are more than 50 year-round indoor snow centres and several hundred artificial surface ‘dry slopes’ operating in more than 50 countries around the world.
For the UK there are six indoor snow centres from Hemel Hempstead to Glasgow and around 60 dry slopes.
