Somewhere in the world a lift is running in every month of the year. The trick is knowing which resorts are open when, and what the skiing is like at each end of the season. This guide goes month by month through the season data for the 251 resorts in our database: October openers, the December to April core, spring closers, and the Southern Hemisphere resorts that fill June to September.
One caveat. Our data holds a typical opening and closing month for each resort. Actual dates move every year with snowfall and the calendar (an “April” closer may shut on the 6th or the 26th depending on Easter), so treat every month here as a normal year and confirm dates on the resort page before booking flights.
The year at a glance
| Month | Northern Hemisphere resorts open | Southern Hemisphere resorts open | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| October | 2 | 14 | High-altitude openers in the Alps; last weeks in the south |
| November | 17 | 0 | High-altitude and North American openers, partial terrain |
| December | 237 | 0 | Full season begins; Christmas and New Year peak |
| January | 237 | 0 | Coldest month, quiet outside the first week |
| February | 237 | 0 | Best snow cover, busiest school-holiday weeks |
| March | 237 | 0 | Long days, softer snow, the best all-round month |
| April | 237 | 0 | Spring skiing; most resorts close during the month |
| May | 12 | 0 | High-altitude resorts only |
| June to September | 0 | 14 | Andes, Australian Alps and New Zealand |
The counts are resorts whose typical season includes that month. The 237 figure is every Northern Hemisphere resort we list; 218 run a standard December to April season and the rest open earlier, close later, or both.
October and November: the early season
Only two resorts in our data open in October, both high enough to hold autumn snow:
- Sölden, Austria: 1,350 to 3,250 m, October to May, 144 km and 31 lifts.
- Tignes, France: 1,550 to 3,456 m, October to May, sharing the 300 km Espace Killy with Val d’Isère.
Fifteen more open in November. Eight of them are in North America: the five US entries all have bases above 2,000 m, while Whistler Blackcomb opens from 675 m. The seven European entries are all high stations with tops above 2,800 m.
| Resort | Country | Season | Elevation | Slopes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ischgl | Austria | Nov–May | 1,377–2,872 m | 239 km |
| Val Thorens | France | Nov–May | 2,300–3,230 m | 600 km (3 Vallées ski area) |
| Val d’Isère | France | Nov–May | 1,550–3,456 m | 300 km (Espace Killy) |
| Cervinia | Italy | Nov–May | 2,050–3,883 m | 322 km (with Zermatt) |
| Zermatt | Switzerland | Nov–May | 1,620–3,883 m | 322 km (with Cervinia) |
| Verbier | Switzerland | Nov–Apr | 1,500–3,330 m | 410 km (4 Vallées) |
| St. Moritz | Switzerland | Nov–Apr | 1,822–3,303 m | 155 km |
| Whistler Blackcomb | Canada | Nov–May | 675–2,284 m | 200 km |
| Banff | Canada | Nov–May | 1,635–2,730 m | 160 km |
| Lake Louise | Canada | Nov–May | 1,646–2,637 m | 145 km |
| Vail | United States | Nov–Apr | 2,475–3,527 m | 234 km |
| Breckenridge | United States | Nov–Apr | 2,926–3,914 m | 187 km |
| Aspen | United States | Nov–Apr | 2,422–3,813 m | 218 km |
| Park City | United States | Nov–Apr | 2,080–3,049 m | 250 km |
| Telluride | United States | Nov–Apr | 2,659–3,831 m | 148 km |
Early season means a fraction of the terrain open, thin cover off the groomed runs, and short days. In return you get empty slopes and pre-season prices. If snow certainty is the priority, Val Thorens has the highest base of any European resort in our database (2,300 m) and Breckenridge the highest of all (2,926 m).
December to March: the core season
From December every Northern Hemisphere resort we list is running, but the character changes across the four months:
- Early December is a gamble at low resorts and a bargain at high ones. The week before Christmas is one of the quietest of the year.
- Christmas and New Year bring peak prices and queues. Cover can still be thin at lower villages.
- January is cold and, apart from the first week, quiet. The classic powder month in the Alps and in Japan, where Niseko runs December to May in our data.
- February has the deepest base and the busiest weeks, as European school holidays stack up. Book a year ahead or avoid it.
- March is the month experienced skiers choose: full cover, longer days, warmer afternoons, and prices dropping after the holidays.
For snow reliability in the core season, altitude is the guide. In our database 54 resorts have a top station at or above 3,000 m, 28 have a base at or above 2,000 m, and 91 carry the snow-sure flag. The highest lift-served points are Breckenridge (3,914 m), Cervinia and Zermatt (3,883 m), Chamonix (3,842 m) and Telluride (3,831 m). The resort finder filters on the snow-sure feature and on season months.
April and May: spring skiing
Most resorts close in April, but 12 in our database stay open into May. The European entries all have top stations above 2,800 m, the three Canadian resorts all carry the snow-sure flag, and the exception is Niseko, flagged snow-sure despite a top station of 1,308 m.
| Resort | Country | Season | Top station |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sölden | Austria | Oct–May | 3,250 m |
| Ischgl | Austria | Nov–May | 2,872 m |
| Tignes | France | Oct–May | 3,456 m |
| Val d’Isère | France | Nov–May | 3,456 m |
| Val Thorens | France | Nov–May | 3,230 m |
| Chamonix | France | Dec–May | 3,842 m |
| Cervinia | Italy | Nov–May | 3,883 m |
| Zermatt | Switzerland | Nov–May | 3,883 m |
| Niseko | Japan | Dec–May | 1,308 m |
| Whistler Blackcomb | Canada | Nov–May | 2,284 m |
| Banff | Canada | Nov–May | 2,730 m |
| Lake Louise | Canada | Nov–May | 2,637 m |
Spring skiing rewards an early start. Overnight-frozen snow is firm until mid-morning, softens into corn for an hour or two, then turns to slush. Ski high and north-facing first, then move to the sunny side late morning. Late April prices are the lowest of the northern season and, Easter aside, the slopes are quiet.
June to September: the Southern Hemisphere
When the Alps shut, 14 resorts in our database run a June to October season across four countries. They are smaller than the big Alpine areas; the largest, Cerro Catedral, has 120 km.
| Resort | Country | Slopes | Lifts | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cerro Catedral | Argentina | 120 km | 38 | 1,030–2,100 m |
| Las Leñas | Argentina | 65 km | 13 | 2,240–3,430 m |
| Chapelco | Argentina | 28 km | 12 | 1,250–1,980 m |
| Valle Nevado | Chile | 40 km | 17 | 2,860–3,670 m |
| La Parva | Chile | 38 km | 15 | 2,662–3,630 m |
| Portillo | Chile | 20 km | 13 | 2,590–3,310 m |
| Perisher | Australia | 65 km | 47 | 1,605–2,054 m |
| Falls Creek | Australia | 49 km | 15 | 1,500–1,842 m |
| Thredbo | Australia | 50 km | 14 | 1,365–2,037 m |
| Mt Buller | Australia | 47 km | 22 | 1,390–1,805 m |
| Cardrona | New Zealand | 60 km | 7 | 1,260–1,894 m |
| Coronet Peak | New Zealand | 40 km | 8 | 1,168–1,649 m |
| The Remarkables | New Zealand | 36 km | 7 | 1,586–1,943 m |
| Mt Hutt | New Zealand | 35 km | 4 | 1,500–2,086 m |
The Chilean trio sit high: Valle Nevado’s base at 2,860 m is above the top station of 115 of the 160 Alpine resorts in our data, and all three carry the snow-sure flag. Argentina offers the most terrain, with Cerro Catedral’s 120 km and 38 lifts, while Las Leñas (2,240 to 3,430 m) is the high, off-piste option. Australia’s resorts are lower, with top stations between 1,805 and 2,054 m, but Perisher’s 65 km on 47 lifts makes it the biggest of them. New Zealand’s fields are small with few lifts (Mt Hutt runs on four), so they suit a wider trip rather than a dedicated ski week. July and August are peak season; June and September are the margins where the date caveat applies twice over.
Quick answers
Which ski resorts open earliest in the season?
In our data, Sölden in Austria and Tignes in France open in October, with top stations of 3,250 m and 3,456 m. Fifteen more open in November, among them Val Thorens, Zermatt, Cervinia, Ischgl and eight North American resorts.
Where can I ski in May?
Twelve resorts in our database run into May: Sölden, Ischgl, Tignes, Val d’Isère, Val Thorens, Chamonix, Cervinia, Zermatt, Niseko, Whistler Blackcomb, Banff and Lake Louise. Expect high-altitude terrain only.
Where can I ski in July and August?
The Southern Hemisphere: Chile, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand all run June to October seasons. Cerro Catedral in Argentina is the largest at 120 km; Valle Nevado in Chile is the highest, with a base at 2,860 m.
What is the best month to ski for snow and value?
March: deep cover, longer days, and prices that fall once school holidays end. Mid-January is the alternative if you prefer cold, dry snow and empty slopes.
