Austria — This past summer showed how ski operations during the warm months is going to be harder to pull off. Warm temperatures are making temporary closures more frequent at major ski resorts in Europe. This is leading to rapid glacier retreat, with a recent study finding Switzerland’s glaciers dropping 20% over five years, and 5.5% this year alone. Year-round operations at European ski resorts now seem unlikely.
On October 2nd, the Hintertux Glacier opened for the 2026-27 season. While it’s notable that a ski resort opens this early, it comes with one caveat: Hintertux Glacier used to be a year-round ski resort. Since 2022, the Austrian ski resort has stopped operating for some time. For the 2025-26 season, they ended their season on July 31st. Based on how conditions were at the ski resorts that stayed open past that date, that was a wise decision.
Conditions reportedly didn’t look to be great, as heatwaves have battered the Hintertux Glacier. Videos from guests show a soft snow quality, with some puddle skiing present. Snowboarder Casey Willax called it the “gnarliest t-bar experience” he’s ever had. I’d say he’s being a bit dramatic, but it definitely is a bummer to see the glacier like this.
Despite the underwhelming conditions, it’s one of the only ski resorts currently open in Europe. There are several ski resorts on glaciers open, including Saas-Fee and Stelvio Pass. Some ski resorts in Scandinavia have also opened thanks to snow-farming techniques.
The only “year-round” ski resort in Europe, Zermatt, has been closed since late July due to warm weather and an unstable glacier. They aim to reopen the slopes soon.
Image/Video Credits: Lucas Meijer, Ivan Grebencharski, Rebecca Fischer, Anastasiia Senn, Hintertux Glacier
