The year round snow reporting website Skiinfo.com is currently showing that 20cm of fresh snow has fallen on the summer ski area above Zermatt and Cervinia on the Swiss/Italian border in the past 48 hours. Access to the glacier continues year round from Zermatt for skiers and boarders, but Cervinia re-opened for its summer season, along with several areas in France, in the past few weeks with plans to stay open through to the end of August, conditions permitting. In Norway and Austria ski areas have been opened still longer, indeed Austria’s Stubai, which has also reported a good deal of fresh snow, has closed today (July 15th) after a nine month season. A spokesman said the centre aims to reopen in late September of early October depending on snow cover. The numbers of resorts still offering summer skiing and boarding in Europe has remained relatively stable since last summer following a five year period that has seen around a dozen ski areas stop offering summer snow sports or at least downhill; skiing and boarding. Saas Fee has also re-opened for summer skiing and has four runs open plus terrain park and half pipe. It received 15cm (six inches) of fresh snow yesterday and has snow depth os 209cm (seven feet) on the glacier.

Other ski slopes currently open in Europe include glacier areas at Les 2 Alpes, Tignes and Val d‘Isere in France; the Dachstein, Kitzsteinhorn (Kaprun), Molltal and Tux glaciers in Austria – the latter one of the few ski areas that still endeavors to stay open 365 days a year. Along with the continent’s highest ski slopes on the glacier above Zermatt and Cervinia on the Swiss/Italian border are also open as are Passo Selvio and Val Senales in Italy (which also reported 15cm/six inches of new snow today) and three ski areas in Norway. Here Folgefonn, Galdhoppigen and Stryn each operate a single long drag lift and are all reporting accumulated snow of up to an incredible eight metres (27 feet).

www.skiinfo.com