Last day of the Ski Season in Finland, France, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Slovenia
Last day of the Ski Season in Finland, France, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Slovenia
Published : 05-May-2019 10:04
Around 30 ski areas in more than a dozen countries across the northern hemisphere will close at the end of today's ski day leaving a few dozen glacier, northern latitude or just very snowy ski areas to continue operating later into May and in some cases beyond.
What are believed to be the last three ski areas still open in France, Chamonix (Grands Montets), Tignes and Val Thorens (pictured above before dawn this morning) are all scheduled to close this afternoon leaving no areas open there until summer skiing begins next month at Val d'Isere then Les 2 Alpes and Tignes again in June.
Heavy snowfall has been reported on some of Europe's glaciers with Val Thorens reporting 25cm of snow in the last 24 hours for its closing day.
In Finland Levi and Ruka are closing today. The latter was the first non-glacier ski area in the world to open for the season in early October last year.
In Slovenia Kanin and Vogel and in Poland Zakopane are due to close after today.
Although five US areas will close later today, more than a dozen ski areas are still open there later in to spring with the Arizona Snowbowl announcing it plans to stay open to at least May 19th, the longest opening in its history.
Other famous ski areas believed to be closing after skiing today include Cervinia, Gstaad (Glacier 3000), Hemsedal, Lake Louise and Marmot Basin.
In Spain Masella and Sierra Nevada, which had both extended their seasons, are due to close, as is the only ski area in Portugal, Serra da Estrela, which re-opened in mid-April after a big snowfall there, six months after opening for the season early last October in similar circumstance.
Sierra Nevada says the lifts will stay open to 4.45pm and will operate free of charge.
Most of the remaining areas still open in Japan are closing today or tomorrow, including Niseko, although the Gassan spring/summer ski area which opened there in mid-April should remain open to July.
Ski areas remain open in Austria, Canada, Iceland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland as well as the US.
The southern hemisphere's 2019 ski season is due to start in less than four weeks' time in Australia, New Zealand and Southern Africa.
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