Tyrol glaciers lead a dry, mild week as Engelberg opens Thursday

Eight resorts are open, and the Alps get no real snowfall this week. Monday looks like the best skiing day on the high glaciers, though the wind is strong. Tuesday is much milder and the pistes turn slushy. Wednesday looks wet on the lower northern slopes, while Hokkaido gets the first proper snow of the week.

Towards the Pitztal glacier · qwesy qwesy, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Tyrol glaciers best on Monday

Pitztal Glacier has the top piste score in the Alps on Monday at 94, with Sölden on 89, Hintertuxer Gletscher on 88 and Stubaier Gletscher on 84. Expect cold summits of around -3 to -4°C. Gusts near 90 km/h at Pitztal and Hintertux mean lifts may stop up top.

On Tuesday the freezing level rises to around 3,000 m and above. Pitztal stays excellent on 85, while Sölden, Hintertux and Stubai go slushy. Wednesday looks like it brings only a dusting of around 1 cm on the tops, with rain at the bottom of Hintertux. Thursday looks colder and calmer.

Tuesday: no new snow in the Alps, and around 5 cm at Asahidake in Hokkaido.

Stelvio's last week, Cervinia and Saas-Fee

Passo Stelvio closes on 1 November and is going out in good shape: excellent on 92 on Monday and 88 on Tuesday, with gusts of around 75 km/h on Monday. Breuil-Cervinia starts at 86 on Monday, turns slushy on Tuesday, then looks excellent again on Wednesday and Thursday at 89.

Saas-Fee is open, but gusts of around 95 km/h on Monday could stop lifts. It is slushy on Tuesday and Wednesday, then looks excellent on Thursday at 89.

Engelberg opens, more to follow

Engelberg-Titlis has announced it opens on Thursday. The forecast for that day is calm, with gusts of around 20 km/h and about 0°C at the top. The day before looks wet down low, with around 10 mm of rain at the base.

Matterhorn Ski Paradise opens on Sunday 1 November. After that come Kitzbühel on 6 November, Gstaad on 7 November, Davos Klosters on 13 November, Andermatt+Sedrun+Disentis on 14 November and Obergurgl-Hochgurgl on 19 November. All of these are the resorts' own dates.

Rain, not snow, on northern slopes

Wednesday looks wet from central Switzerland to Salzburg, with the freezing level around 2,000 m or higher. Rain at the bottom is likely at Hoch Ybrig (around 17 mm), Melchsee-Frutt and Flumserberg, and at Kitzbühel, Saalbach Hinterglemm, SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser - Brixental, Lech Warth Zürs am Arlberg and Brandnertal. On Monday, gusts of 80 to 95 km/h are forecast at Schladming, Leogang and Petzen, and in the Dolomites at Cortina d'Ampezzo.

Wednesday: only around 1 cm on the Tyrol glaciers, while Asahidake looks like getting around 25 cm.

Hokkaido gets the first real snow

The freezing level in Hokkaido drops to around 500 to 900 m. Asahidake gets around 5 cm on Tuesday, and Wednesday looks like bringing around 25 cm up top. Kiroro Ski World and Sapporo Kokusai could see around 8 cm on Wednesday, with storm gusts that turn to rain on Thursday. Sapporo Kokusai opens on 20 November and Teine Highland on 21 November.

Our call

For the best piste of the week, ski Monday at Pitztal or Stelvio, and expect the wind to be a problem. Stelvio is the last chance before it closes on Sunday. Later in the week, Cervinia and Saas-Fee look good on Thursday, the day Engelberg opens.