snowingplaces

When do ski resorts open?

Most northern-hemisphere ski resorts open between mid-November and mid-December: 58 of the 90 we track usually open in November. The earliest are Levi (early October), Sölden (early October), Zell am See-Kaprun (early October).

Northern hemisphere: Europe, North America and Asia

Usual opening and closing times: Northern hemisphere: Europe, North America and Asia
ResortUsually opensUsually closesThis season's dates
LeviFinlandEarly OctoberEarly Maylevi.fi
SöldenAustriaEarly OctoberEarly Maysoelden.com
Zell am See-KaprunAustriaEarly OctoberMayzellamsee-kaprun.com
CerviniaItalyLate OctoberEarly Maycervinia.it
KillingtonUnited StatesLate OctoberLate Maykillington.com
BreckenridgeUnited StatesEarly NovemberEarly Maybreckenridge.com
KitzbühelAustriaEarly NovemberMid-Aprilkitzbuehel.com
Lake LouiseCanadaEarly NovemberEarly Mayskilouise.com
Saas-FeeSwitzerlandEarly NovemberMid-Aprilsaas-fee.ch
Sunshine VillageCanadaEarly NovemberLate Mayskibanff.com
ZermattSwitzerlandEarly NovemberEarly Mayzermatt.swiss
AndermattSwitzerlandMid-NovemberMid-Aprilandermatt-sedrun-disentis.ch
Baqueira-BeretSpainNovemberLate Aprilbaqueira.es
Davos KlostersSwitzerlandMid-NovemberLate Aprildavos.ch
HeavenlyUnited StatesMid-NovemberMid-Aprilskiheavenly.com
Madonna di CampiglioItalyMid-NovemberMid-AprilCheck the resort
Mammoth MountainUnited StatesMid-NovemberLate Maymammothmountain.com
Obergurgl-HochgurglAustriaMid-NovemberLate Aprilgurgl.com
Palisades TahoeUnited StatesNovemberMaypalisadestahoe.com
Shiga KogenJapanMid-NovemberLate Mayshigakogen-ski.or.jp
SnowbirdUnited StatesMid-NovemberLate Maysnowbird.com
VailUnited StatesMid-NovemberMid-Aprilvail.com
Val ThorensFranceMid-NovemberEarly Mayvalthorens.com
VerbierSwitzerlandNovemberEnd of Aprilverbier.ch
YongpyongSouth KoreaNovemberEarly AprilCheck the resort
AltaUnited StatesLate NovemberLate Aprilalta.com
ÅreSwedenLate NovemberLate Aprilskistar.com
Arosa LenzerheideSwitzerlandLate NovemberMid-Aprilarosalenzerheide.swiss
Aspen SnowmassUnited StatesLate NovemberMid-Aprilaspensnowmass.com
Bad GasteinAustriaLate NovemberEarly Maygastein.com
Beaver CreekUnited StatesLate NovemberLate Aprilbeavercreek.com
Big SkyUnited StatesLate NovemberLate Aprilbigskyresort.com
Big WhiteCanadaLate NovemberMid-Aprilbigwhite.com
Cortina d'AmpezzoItalyLate NovemberEarly Maydolomiti.org
CourmayeurItalyLate NovemberMid-Aprilcourmayeur-montblanc.com
FuranoJapanLate NovemberEarly Mayprincehotels.com
Garmisch-PartenkirchenGermanyLate NovemberEarly Mayzugspitze.de
GrindelwaldSwitzerlandLate NovemberLate Apriljungfrau.ch
Hakuba ValleyJapanLate NovemberEarly Mayhakubavalley.com
IschglAustriaLate NovemberEarly Mayischgl.com
LaaxSwitzerlandLate NovemberMid-Aprillaax.com
Les Deux AlpesFranceLate NovemberEarly Mayles2alpes.com
LivignoItalyLate NovemberEarly Maylivigno.eu
Mont TremblantCanadaLate NovemberMid-AprilCheck the resort
Niseko UnitedJapanLate NovemberEarly Mayniseko.ne.jp
Nozawa OnsenJapanLate NovemberEarly Mayen.nozawaski.com
ObertauernAustriaLate NovemberEarly Mayobertauern.com
Park CityUnited StatesLate NovemberEarly Aprilparkcitymountain.com
Revelstoke Mountain ResortCanadaLate NovemberEarly Aprilrevelstokemountainresort.com
RusutsuJapanLate NovemberLate Marchrusutsu.com
Saalbach HinterglemmAustriaLate NovemberEarly Aprilsaalbach.com
Sierra NevadaSpainLate NovemberEarly Maysierranevada.es
St. MoritzSwitzerlandLate NovemberMid-Aprilstmoritz.com
SteamboatUnited StatesLate NovemberMid-Aprilsteamboat.com
StoweUnited StatesLate NovemberMid Aprilstowe.com
Sun PeaksCanadaLate NovemberEarly Aprilsunpeaksresort.com
Sun ValleyUnited StatesLate NovemberEarly Aprilsunvalley.com
Taos Ski ValleyUnited StatesLate NovemberEarly Aprilskitaos.com
TellurideUnited StatesLate NovemberEarly Apriltellurideskiresort.com
TignesFranceLate NovemberEarly Mayen.tignes.net
TrysilNorwayLate NovemberLate Aprilskistar.com
Val d'IsèreFranceLate NovemberEarly Mayvaldisere.com
Whistler BlackcombCanadaLate NovemberMid-Maywhistlerblackcomb.com
Alpe d'HuezFranceEarly DecemberLate Aprilalpedhuez.com
Alta BadiaItalyEarly DecemberEarly Aprilaltabadia.org
BanskoBulgariaEarly DecemberMid-Aprilbanskoski.com
BormioItalyEarly DecemberMid-Aprilbormio.eu
CourchevelFranceEarly DecemberMid-Aprilcourchevel.com
Deer ValleyUnited StatesEarly DecemberMid-Aprildeervalley.com
FernieCanadaEarly DecemberMid-Aprilskifernie.com
GrandvaliraAndorraEarly DecemberEarly Aprilgrandvalira.com
Jackson HoleUnited StatesEarly DecemberEarly Apriljacksonhole.com
Lech ZürsAustriaEarly DecemberLate Aprillechzuers.com
MayrhofenAustriaEarly DecemberMid-Aprilmayrhofen.at
MéribelFranceEarly DecemberMid-Aprilmeribel.net
Serre ChevalierFranceEarly DecemberMid-Aprilserre-chevalier.com
SestriereItalyEarly DecemberMid-Aprilvialattea.it
St. Anton am ArlbergAustriaEarly DecemberLate Aprilstantonamarlberg.com
Val GardenaItalyEarly DecemberEarly Aprilvalgardena.it
AvoriazFranceMid-DecemberMid-Aprilavoriaz.com
ChamonixFranceMid-DecemberEarly Mayen.chamonix.com
Crans-MontanaSwitzerlandMid-DecemberEarly Aprilcrans-montana.ch
EngelbergSwitzerlandDecemberAprilengelberg.ch
GudauriGeorgiaDecemberAprilCheck the resort
HemsedalNorwayDecemberEarly Mayskistar.com
Kicking HorseCanadaMid-DecemberMid-Aprilkickinghorseresort.com
La PlagneFranceMid-DecemberLate Aprilla-plagne.com
Les ArcsFranceMid-DecemberLate Aprillesarcs.com
MegèveFranceMid-DecemberEarly Aprilmegeve-tourisme.fr
GulmargIndiaLate DecemberLate MarchCheck the resort

Southern hemisphere: South America, Australia and New Zealand

Usual opening and closing times: Southern hemisphere: South America, Australia and New Zealand
ResortUsually opensUsually closesThis season's dates
Mt BullerAustraliaEarly JuneEarly Octobermtbuller.com.au
PerisherAustraliaEarly JuneEarly Octoberperisher.com.au
ThredboAustraliaEarly JuneEarly Octoberthredbo.com.au
CardronaNew ZealandMid-JuneEarly Octobercardrona-treblecone.com
Coronet PeakNew ZealandMid-JuneLate Septembercoronetpeak.co.nz
Mt HuttNew ZealandJuneOctobermthutt.co.nz
PortilloChileMid-JuneEarly Octoberskiportillo.com
Valle NevadoChileJuneOctobervallenevado.com
Las LeñasArgentinaLate JuneLate SeptemberCheck the resort
Cerro CatedralArgentinaJulyLate Septembercatedralaltapatagonia.com

How to use these dates

These are the times each resort usually opens and closes, not confirmed dates for a particular season. Resorts set exact dates a few months ahead and move them when the snow arrives early or late, and glacier resorts often open a small area well before the main season. Use this page to see roughly when a resort gets going, then follow the link to the resort for this season's dates.

Each resort name links to its snow forecast, which starts running two months before the usual opening, so you can watch the early-season snow build. For how much snow a resort typically has in its opening month, see where to ski, month by month.