J2Ski's Where to Ski in October 2025
J2Ski's Where to Ski in October 2025
Published : 01-Oct-2025 07:33
October sees spring gain ground in the southern hemisphere, and while the month starts with a few dozen ski areas still open, by the end, all resorts south of the equator are expected to have ended their 2025 seasons.
Pitztal, Austria, with skiing on the glacier already open...
Where to Ski in October 2025
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It is getting cooler and darker with more frequent snow showers at high altitudes and sub-zero temperatures overnight in the northern hemisphere.
October starts with just half a dozen ski areas open in four countries, all in Europe. By the end of the month, the number open will have tripled or quadrupled, and the number of ski nations where the season has started will at least double.
Although no resorts have confirmed October openings yet, it is likely that the first centres in Asia and North America will open for their 2025-26 seasons later this month, conditions permitting.
Australasia / Oceania
Australia
Australia starts October with six ski areas open, more than any other country, and it has been enjoying one of its best seasons in recent years, with its resorts receiving more snowfall than many in the Andes in 2025.
However, things are winding down quickly, and all six, including famous names like Falls Creek, Hotham, Perisher, and Thredbo, are expected to close for their 2025 ski season at the end of the first Sunday of the month, October 5th.
New Zealand
New Zealand's 2025 ski season is also nearing its end, with most of the country's smaller club fields and some of the larger commercial resorts closing last month.
Around half-a-dozen plan to operate into October, and this is likely to be the last country in the southern hemisphere to offer lift-accessed skiing - by the latter half of October.
Cardrona, the largest area in the country, closes on the 5th, but Mount Hutt and The Remarkables plan to stay open until October 12th, while Tūroa and Whakapapa on Mount Ruapehu on the North Island aim to keep going until the final weekend of October.
South America
Argentina
The season is almost over in Argentina, with just a few slopes open at Catedral, South America's largest resort near the ski town of Bariloche, and Cerro Castor, the world's most southerly ski area near Tierra del Fuego.
All other Argentinian centres have already closed, and the final two will join them on Sunday, October 5th.
Chile
Chile's 2025 ski season is likewise entering its final phase, with Portillo already closed and resorts like El Colorado, Pillán - Villarrica, and Antillanca set to wrap up by the end of the day on Sunday, October 5th.
Corralco, Valle Nevado, and La Parva will remain open a week longer into October, offering firm snow conditions in the early morning that quickly soften by lunchtime.
Europe
The Alps
There has been some light to moderate snowfall in the Alps in September, and glacier ski areas have begun opening.
As we start the month, Austria's Hintertux and Pitztal glaciers are already open, with Solden, Stubai, Kaunertal, and Molltal due to join them over the next few weekends, meaning Austria will have more areas open than anywhere else by the middle of October.
Switzerland is next, with skiing possible already at Saas-Fee and Zermatt, plus a terrain park above Mürren.
Italy's Passo Stelvio and Val Senales are also open, the latter reporting a 16 cm/6 inch snowfall in the final week of last month.
Only France, of the big four Alpine ski nations, currently has no areas open, and no French resort plans to open until late November; they have reported some fresh snowfall at high altitudes, however.
Scandinavia
After some record warm summer temperatures, the picture in Scandinavia has improved through September with first snowfalls on peaks across the region and sub-zero overnight temperatures.
Norway's Galdhopiggen summer ski area, which operates the region's highest lifts, reopened on September 19th after a six-week mid-summer closure and now plans to keep running into November.
In Finland, two of the country's largest ski areas, Levi and Ruka, open for their seven-month 2025-26 seasons on the first Friday of the month (3rd). They use huge stockpiles of snow stored through the summer from last spring and spread it out to create a few kilometres of trails and terrain park features.
A few other areas are expected to open later this month, including the first in Sweden, Kåbdalis, on the 18th.
North America
USA
North America has no ski areas open in September, but the hope is that somewhere will open in October to kick off the continent's ski season.
This relies heavily on cold, specifically enough for snowmakers to fire up.
Often, it is a high-altitude resort in Colorado that is first to open, but sometimes snowmakers in the Midwest or New England manage to do so, and even more rarely on the West Coast. There have been plenty of pre-season snow dustings on high slopes, tests of snowmaking systems, and sub-zero temperatures, raising pre-season anticipation levels.
Asia
Japan
The start of Asia's ski season, like North America's, is not quite certain, but often the little Yeti ski area near Japan's iconic Mount Fuji manages to open a short run, thanks to all-weather snowmaking, by the end of the month.
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