More Glaciers Open in the Alps After First Autumn Snowfalls

Autumn brings good news for ski enthusiasts: several glaciers in the Alps are reopening their slopes after the season's first snowfalls. Austria and the eastern Alps have received the majority of the fresh snow, allowing Kitzsteinhorn and Mölltal to open this weekend.

The Mölltal glacier, in Carinthia, will reopen on Friday, October 10. Over the summer, it stored more than 300,000 m³ of snow and has been able to produce more thanks to the low October temperatures. Kitzsteinhorn, meanwhile, will open on Saturday, October 11, with promising conditions for the first skiers of the year.

Currently, open glaciers in the Alps include Pitztal, Hintertux, Stubai, Sölden and Kaunertal in Austria; Passo Stelvio and Val Senales in Italy; and Zermatt and Saas-Fee in Switzerland. Although temperatures remain cold at altitude, no significant snowfall is expected in the coming days.

Northern Europe is also beginning to stir: the ski resorts of Ruka and Levi, in Finland, have already opened some slopes with snow stored from last winter, while the Galdhøpiggen glacier, in Norway, continues to offer about three kilometers of trail with recent snow.

Meanwhile, the southern hemisphere is closing its season with the last days of skiing in Australia, New Zealand and South America. In North America, the first snows have fallen in Canada and Colorado, where some resorts have already begun artificial snow production.

Winter looms on the alpine horizon, and all signs point to a promising start to the season.