South Tyrol, Italy — While this summer did cause major damage to Europe’s glaciers, ski season is slowly coming into gear for the continent’s ski industry.
Various ski resorts in Europe begin their season in the fall because they’re home to glaciers, sit at high elevations, and/or use snow blankets. Because of these factors, an Italian ski resort has started its season.
Last Saturday, Val Senales opened for the season. This was made possible thanks to snowmaking efforts and snow blankets. However, only a small amount of terrain is currently available.
Snow blankets made the opening possible by preserving the snow through a hot summer. The barren surrounding peaks do raise the question of whether we’ll see fall operational issues with other European ski resorts.
Current European Ski Operations
With this, two outdoor ski resorts are operating in Europe. According to Weathertoski.co.uk, Stelvio Pass and Val Senals are the only two operating ski resorts in Europe. The other missing piece is Zermatt, which has been closed since August because of rapid glacier melt. They hope to resume their ski operations soon.
Also worth noting is that several more Austrian ski resorts are planning to open next Saturday. Those openings could be impacted, though, by the weather.
Image/Video Credits: Günther Aigner – SKIFAHREN | SCHNEE | KLIMA, Val Senales, Alpin Arena Senales
