Alps Buried in Snow: A Dream Start to the 2025/26 Ski Season

Winter has arrived early, and with a bang. A powerful series of storms has swept across the Alps over the past week, transforming the mountains into a deep winter wonderland and delivering one of the most exciting season kick-offs in recent years. Resorts from France and Switzerland to Italy and Austria are reporting exceptional snow totals, rapidly expanding terrain, and a level of early-season buzz not felt for some time.

Up to 70cm of fresh snow has already fallen across many Alpine regions, with another major dump forecast in the coming week. Some high-altitude slopes could see nearly 1.5 metres (five feet) of accumulated snowfall by the end of November, an extraordinary figure for the pre-season period.

Huge Pre-Season Snowfalls Across the Alps

The timing couldn’t be better. As France’s first big-name resorts prepare to open, Mother Nature has delivered a serious early Christmas present.

Tignes and Val Thorens both open this week, and thanks to the recent storms, they’re set to welcome skiers with impressive cover for late November. Several resorts opening in the coming days have published standout 72-hour totals:

• Courchevel & La Tania – up to 70cm
• Crans-Montana – around 60cm
• Alpe d’Huez – approximately 50cm

And it’s not just the early starters. La Plagne, gearing up for its mid-December launch, has shared spectacular images from the past 24 hours, showing deep, fresh snow coating the entire mountain. For those looking ahead to Christmas and New Year trips, this is a very encouraging sign.

Early-Season Leaders: Austria Takes the Crown (For Now)

When it comes to early-season terrain, a familiar heavyweight is already out in front.

Sölden currently boasts more than two-thirds of its ski area open, offering an impressive 98km of pistes, now surpassing the Zermatt–Cervinia glacier domain, which sits at 86km open.

Meanwhile, Ischgl, due to open later this week, has recorded 20cm of new snow so far. Insiders expect it to launch with over 100km of runs available from day one, bolstered by both fresh snowfall and consistently cold temperatures.

A Promising Start to Winter

Freezing temperatures are helping preserve the deepening base across the Alps, and forecasters are tracking more storms lined up for the days ahead. With natural snowfall arriving in abundance and snowmaking systems running at full capacity, many ski industry experts believe we could be witnessing one of the strongest Alpine starts in years.

Whether you’re planning an early-season getaway or gearing up for the main winter months, this is the moment to get excited. The 2025/26 ski season is shaping up to be one to remember, and Skiline.co.uk will be here throughout the winter with updates, insights, and the best ski holiday deals as the mountains continue to fill up with snow.