Tyrol glaciers lead a colder weekend as Zermatt opens and Stelvio closes

Nine resorts are open, and the high glaciers are where the skiing is best this weekend. Friday and Saturday stay dry across the Alps. On Sunday the freezing level comes down and the first light snow arrives in Austria, along with strong winds at the top of several Swiss, French and Italian resorts. Zermatt's season starts on Sunday, the same day Passo Stelvio closes.

The Hintertux glacier · qwesy qwesy, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Tyrol glaciers are the safe bet

Hintertuxer Gletscher, Pitztal Glacier and Stubaier Gletscher all score around 95, excellent, from Friday to Sunday. Hintertux gets the top rating of the weekend on Sunday, at 97.

Friday and Saturday are dry. On Sunday the freezing level falls to around 2,000 m and the cold arrives, with tops near -11 °C. Hintertux gets around 3 cm, Stubai around 2 cm and Pitztal about 1 cm. Sölden is also open and expects around 2 cm up top on Sunday.

Friday is dry, with no new snow at any Alpine resort and freezing levels mostly above 2,500 m.

Valais and Aosta: one opening, one closing

Saas-Fee is excellent on Saturday, scoring 89, then drops to mixed (61) on Sunday as the cold and wind arrive. Across the border, Breuil-Cervinia follows the same pattern: 89 on Saturday, 68 on Sunday. No snow is forecast here. The freezing level falls from around 2,900 m to around 2,400 m on Sunday.

Matterhorn Ski Paradise opens on Sunday, the date the resort announced, with a top temperature near -9 °C. Passo Stelvio is excellent on Friday, scoring 95, and closes for the season on Sunday. Sunday gusts reach around 85 km/h at Saas-Grund and 80 km/h at Morgins, both still closed.

Dry and windy in central Switzerland and France

Engelberg-Titlis opened on Thursday. It stays dry all weekend and turns much colder on Sunday, with the top near -7 °C. Nearby, gusts at Mürren-Schilthorn reach around 85 km/h on Saturday and 120 km/h on Sunday. In the French Alps, gusts hit around 95 km/h at Chamonix on Sunday. Lifts that are running in windy spots may stop.

Several resorts open soon: Gstaad on 7 November, Davos Klosters on 13 November and Andermatt+Sedrun+Disentis on 14 November. Then on 21 November come Grindelwald-Wengen, Mürren, St. Moritz - Corviglia and Val Thorens. These are all the resorts' own dates. Flumserberg on 21 November is our estimate.

First snow for Salzburg and Kitzbühel

Obertauern gets the most consistent snow in the Alps: around 2 to 3 cm on Saturday and around 5 cm on Sunday, with snow right down to the base. It opens on 20 November.

Kitzbühel expects around 4 cm at the top on Sunday, with light rain at the bottom, a week before its 6 November opening. Zillertal Arena gets around 5 cm up top but around 7 mm of rain at the base.

Sunday brings the most snow: around 5 cm at Obertauern and Zillertal Arena, 3 cm at Hintertux and up to 12 cm at Asahidake.

Hokkaido: rain turns to snow

Rain on Saturday turns to snow on Sunday as the freezing level drops to around 500 to 700 m. Asahidake gets the most, around 7 cm on Saturday and 12 cm on Sunday, though there is also rain at the base. Sapporo Kokusai and Kiroro Ski World get around 12 mm of rain on Saturday, then around 3 cm of snow. Sunday gusts reach around 90 km/h. Sapporo Kokusai opens on 20 November and Teine Highland Ski Center on 21 November.

Our call

For the weekend, go to the Tyrol glaciers: Hintertux, Stubai and Pitztal are excellent on all three days. Saturday is the better day at Saas-Fee and Cervinia, and Sunday is the last chance for Stelvio. Watch Obertauern and Kitzbühel, where Sunday brings the first snow before they open.