Another ski season is already here! Hoorah! Glacier ski resorts are already operating in the Alps and centres have opened using last year’s snow recycled in Scandinavia.
As usual we’re all hoping its going to be a snowy one and as always with the annual changes in dates or days of the week for the main festivities, there are factors to be aware of when planning your trip(s) to the slopes.
Here’s our lowdown.
Solden
October
The Main Event: FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Gets Underway in Solden
Glacier ski areas are opening in the Alps and in Finland, Ruka and Levi open at the start of the month thanks to a huge snow farming effort. Across the Atlantic resorts will be battling to be the first in North America to open, hopefully before the end of the month.
Closer to home it’s time for The London Snow Show from 17-18 October at Olympia London.
November
The Main Event: Super El Niño Peaks (?)
November is when the early ski season starts to gather pace with dozens of the more snowsure resorts opening in the Alps and North America, the latter aiming to attract early business over the Thanksgiving Holiday long weekend.
In Europe Ischgl’s opening weekend, also the last of the month, is a big event with the Austrian centre often starting their season with the most terrain open in the world at that early point, usually 100km+, and also a big pop concert, this year with Westlife performing (see our separate news story). Other resorts also throw big season opening celebrations, including Val Thorens’ famous La Grande Première, this year on the 21st/22nd, and it’s a lot of fun to get on the slopes early.
But November 2026 has one unique claim to fame over Novembers past. Seasonal climate predictions are for the much discussed ‘Super El Niño’ to peak this month, bringing lots of moisture to parts of North America which should mean a very welcome, very snowy start to the season. At least the November peak is the expectation at time of writing, projections keep getting updated. The European Space Agency are also predicting the strong El Niño might mean a colder, snowier winter in Europe too.
Resorts scheduled to start their seasons this month, conditions permitting, include Kitzbuhel (thanks to snow farming), Lake Louise, Breckenridge and Copper on the 6th; Adelboden, Arosa, Glacier 3000 and Murren on the 7th; Davos (pictured top), Mammoth and Vail on the 13th; Andermatt and Verbier on the 14th; Obergurgl on the 19th; Obertauern, Whistler Blackcomb, Heavenly and Park City on the 20th and Sun Peaks, Steramboat and Tignes on the 21st.
Christmas CREDIT Les Arcs
December
The Main Event: Christmas
December is when the main ski season gets underway with most tour operator charter trains and planes starting the weekends of the 12th or 19th. The latter departure Saturday means you travel home on Boxing Day, of which more next month.
If El Niño does its stuff in November, the first half of December could be epic, with quieter slopes, lower prices, more terrain opening and lots of fresh snow, although as always that is an ‘if’ on the early snowy abundance. Prices can also be favourable.
“The cheapest low season weeks are more or less on par with each other the pre Christmas week and the post Easter week. Savvy skiers often book both of those weeks, for the same or lower total price as a single week in peak season. It’s pretty terrific to bookend your winter with a ski holiday at both ends, and still spend less than your pals who went just once in mid winter,” says Richard Sinclair of ski holiday travel agency sno.co.uk.
Either way it’s also a great time to enjoy Christmas celebrations in resorts in the build up to the big day, with many staging versions of advent markets. You can also choose to head up to Lapland and meet Santa before he sets off. Finland’s Levi enters polar night on December 10th with the sun not getting above the horizon again until January, so it’s a surreal time to be there, with dreamlike skiing under floodlights.
Aongside all the festive loveliness, party animals can get their fix with early season music festivals in the mountains, starting with the return of Rise at Les 2 Alpes from the 5th – 12th, moving on to the boarder-focussed Rock On Snow at Avoriaz taking place from Friday 11 to Sunday 13 December.
The ski racing season also gathers momentum with major races first in the US, then at venues including St Moritz and Val d’Isere, before an Italian focus around Christmas with Val Gardena, Alta Badia, Madonna di Campiglio and Bormio in rapid succession.
New Year
January
The Main Event: New Year
For those wanting to spend Christmas or the peak New Year week in the Alps it’s one of those years when the traditional change over Saturday falls on Boxing Day (December 26th). To avoid travelling the morning after Christmas, potentially with a very early start, travel agency Iglu Ski say that the vast majority of their customers are seeking a Sunday, December 27th departure, allowing them to enjoy the festive period at home while still returning on Sunday, January 3, ahead of schools reopening on Monday, January 4.
This is putting the limited supply for Sunday-to-Sunday itineraries is in high demand. Data from Iglu Ski found there are 60% fewer seven-night packages available for the Sunday departure (Dec 27th – Jan 3rd) compared to the standard Saturday rotation (Dec 26 – Jan 2).
“With Christmas falling on a Friday, pressure is heavily on to secure trips departing on Sunday, December 27th. While we still have thousands of Sunday capacity options available, inventory is significantly lower than for Boxing Day departures. We strongly advise families and groups to lock in their plans now before the Sunday slots sell out,” said Phil Wright, Head of Commercial and Operations at Iglu Ski.
After the peak New Year week, the next few weeks were traditionally amongst the cheapest and quietest of the season, whilst hopefully seeing snow depths building and maximum terrain open. However the days of quiet January may be behind us.
“Everything we thought we knew about visitor numbers has changed significantly. There are now more and more families looking for budget opportunities in between holiday periods, and groups of students come during the February school holidays. The tables have been turned. Changes in consumer preferences and weather conditions require greater flexibility,” says Thomas Saison, General Manager, Office de Tourisme de la Grande Plagne.
For ski race fans January is the month of classics including the 97th International Lauberhorn Races taking place from the 15th to 17th in Wengen; then the 87th Hahnenkamm Races in Kitzbühel from the 22nd to 24th and the Kandahar in Chamonix on the 30th. The X Games are also taking place in Aspen from the 29th –31st.
Crans Montana CREDIT @CMTC Julien Dresselaers
February
The Main Event: 2027 Alpine Skiing World Championships
Crans-Montana hosts the world’s largest Alpine skiing tournament of the season from 1-14 February where the very best men and women skiers compete in all Alpine disciplines (Downhill, Super G, Giant Slalom and Slalom and team combined). The resort last hosted the bi-annual event in 1987, but a new downhill course will provide a spectacular backdrop for the spectators in the newly designed finish area.
There’s a host of British skiers hoping to make the cut including Laurie Taylor, Billy Major, Freddy Carrick-Smith, Reece Bell, Victoria Palla, Luca Carrick-Smith, Zak Carrick-Smith, Molly Butler and several others as we head into the ‘post Dave Ryding era’ following his retirement last season.
February is of course also half term month when prices peak and the slopes are crowded as families from across Europe try to get to the slopes during official holiday periods, paying a premium for it. Ski holiday company IGLU says it is at least good news for families with children being educated in Wales or the South West, as most schools there are starting half term before the rest of the UK mid-month, meaning there’s a rare chance to grab a ski holiday at non-peak prices.
CREDIT ST ANTON
March
The Main Event: Easter Comes Early
Ski holiday companies are noticing Easter bookings for next winter are running well ahead of normal as skiers register that Easter Sunday’s earliest date in more than a decade ups the chances of better snow in one of the key holiday periods. After falling as late as April 20th over the past few years, Easter Sunday falls on March 28th this season, its earliest date since 2015, and one that won’t be seen as early again until 2032. Travel agencies are reporting that the early date is increasing it attractiveness to families who usually book the peak February or New Year weeks but want to save money whilst still having a good chance of good snow conditions.
“Easter is performing particularly well this year; we expect there will be families who typically book New Year and February half term who will be considering Easter for the first time this season, supported by attractive pricing and excellent conditions in recent years,” said Nicola Moss of Peak Retreats.
In recent years the last week of March before the Easter Holiday period begins has overtaken early January after New year as the quietest and most affordable week of the season, so keep your eyes peeled for late deals.
Although they now run all winter, the start of springtime is also the main month for music festivals in the Alps. Among the bigger ones back for 2027 are electro-house themed Snowboxx in Azoriaz and Rock the Pistes across the wider Portes du Soleil, both taking place through the third week of March. Tomorrowland Winter is in Alpe d’Huez the following week.
The Alpine Skiing World Cup Finals will also round up the ski racing season from the 18 – 25th in Sun Valley, Idaho.
April
The Main Event: X Games League Finale In Finland
Although Easter is the last weekend of March, the Easter school holidays will still extend to the middle of the month, so it is the usual advice to book resorts that have high slopes or up at northerly latitudes for the best chance of good snow conditions as the season winds down.
Talking of northerly latitudes, this winter sees the launch of the inaugural Winter X Games League, which will see the annual competition in Aspen hit the road with a new stage in Canada and then the conclusion at Finland’s Ruka-Kuusamo, where the season already started earlier in October, and continues through to May. Two of Britain’s leading winter sports stars: two-time X Games gold medallist snowboarder Mia Brookes, from Sandbach in Cheshire, and Freeski SuperPipe world champion Zoe Atkin who took home bronze in Freeski Halfpipe at Milan Cortina 2026 will hopefully be in action at the event from 9th-11th April 2027
“Ruka is a legendary winter destination with a proven track record of consistently delivering world-class events,” said Jeremy Bloom, CEO of X Games. “The feedback we always hear from athletes and teams is that Ruka feels like home, which is the ultimate endorsement. Having competed there myself, I know firsthand how special the venue and the community are, and we couldn’t be more excited to bring the X Games to Ruka.”
April also sees music festival season continue, with one of the originals, Snowbombing, doing its annual takeover of Mayrhofen from 5-10 April, with Bicep Live, Fatboy Slim and Rossi among the artistes set to perform. The Altitude Comedy Festival there has been forced to take a year’s hiatus, alas, due to issues matching availability of comedians with availability of dates in resorts, but they say they’ll be back in 2028.
May
The Main Event: 97th Annual Slush Cup
Although most ski areas end their seasons in April, around 100 in Europe make it through to May, although 90% of those historic survivors will have closed by the end of that month too.
In Japan most of the big resorts try to keep offering skiing through cherry blossom season and into the start of the green season, although the snow by this time is usually less the famous deep light powder and more heavy deep sugar in consistency.
Other than Les 2 Alpes, where glacier skiing continues into July, the final French resorts close over the first weekend of the month, Val Thorens traditionally bookmarking their season end with La Grande Dernière grand finale.
In Canada, half-a-dozen areas usually make it into May with Sunshine near Banff normally one of the final few open and ending its season with the world’s oldest pond skimming competition. The 97th staging of their Slush Cup is scheduled to take place on May 24, 2027
For those who fear that’s all folks until 27-28, fear not. A handful of centres including Hintertux and Zermatt aim to operate into the summer, the southern hemisphere’s 2027 season kicks off next month and Saas-Fee will start its new season in July. With hundreds of indoor snow and dry slopes centres too, you can always ski somewhere.