While most ski areas across the Northern Hemisphere are still waiting for winter, crews at Levi Ski Resort in Finland are getting slopes ready for opening day.
The Lapland resort is scheduled to begin its 2026-27 alpine and cross-country ski season Friday, Oct. 2, using snow preserved from last winter to cover its Front Slopes and early-season Nordic terrain.
Levi plans to open Levi Glacier, the Front Slope Park and a mogul track for opening weekend. Glacier Express, the North chairlift and a Front Slope conveyor lift are also scheduled to operate.
Earlier this month, Levi began removing the insulating covers from its massive stockpiles of preserved snow. The next step is turning that stored snow back into skiable terrain ahead of the Oct. 2 opening.
Levi says it has stored enough snow to offer more skiing at the beginning of this season than it has previously provided for opening weekend.
Levi Saves Snow From One Winter for the Next
Levi has developed one of the ski industry’s more sophisticated snow-storage operations.
Rather than relying entirely on early fall snowmaking, the resort produces snow during colder winter conditions, then collects large amounts of it into piles after the ski season.
Those piles are covered through the summer with insulating materials designed to limit melting. When fall arrives, crews uncover the snow and redistribute it across the slopes.
Levi’s snow-storage system utilizes about 400 insulating mats to protect the piles through the warmer months. The strategy allows Levi to establish a skiable base before temperatures are consistently cold enough for conventional fall snowmaking.
More than 300 automatic snowguns supplement the preserved snow once temperatures allow. Levi says producing much of its stored snow during the coldest part of winter also allows its snowmaking system to operate considerably more efficiently than it would during marginal fall conditions.
Snow Storage Started With the World Cup
Levi’s snow-storage program originally grew out of concerns about reliably hosting its annual World Cup ski races.
After poor snow conditions contributed to World Cup cancellations in 2007, 2011 and 2015, Levi began developing its modern snow-storage operation in 2016.
The system eventually became useful for far more than race preparation.
Levi now uses preserved snow to begin both alpine and cross-country skiing in early October, creating what the resort markets as a seven-month winter season extending into May.
The resort’s Front Slopes include the Levi Glacier, an area specifically redesigned to improve snow preservation. The slope was leveled as part of a major project completed for the 2022-23 season, allowing snow to be stored more efficiently around the Glacier Express chairlift.
The concept has also spread beyond Finland. Snow storage is increasingly being used by ski areas elsewhere in Europe and North America to preserve snow through summer and reduce dependence on marginal early-season snowmaking.
Levi Skied for 220 Days Last Season
The early opening is one end of an unusually long operating calendar.
Levi opened Oct. 3 last season and did not close until May 10, totaling 220 days of skiing and snowboarding.
It was also a record year for the resort. Levi reported approximately 599,000 ski days during the 2025-26 season, with international visitors accounting for 26% of lift ticket customers.
The resort is targeting another season stretching from October into early May.
Opening weekend will also include a ski and snowboard equipment test featuring brands including Burton, Black Crows, Fischer, Nitro, Nordica and Salomon, along with early-season cross-country skiing on a trail made from stored snow.
Another New Chairlift Is Coming This Winter
Opening day will not be Levi’s only significant development this season.
The resort is nearing completion of Sunny Express, a new six-passenger chairlift on its South Slopes. The project also includes a new wider slope area designed partly with families in mind.
Construction is scheduled to wrap up by the end of October, with Levi targeting late November for the lift’s first skiers if temperatures and snow conditions cooperate.
Levi is also one of the new international ski areas joining Indy Pass for the 2026-27 season, giving North American passholders another way to ski the Finnish resort.
