J2Ski's Where to Ski in November 2026
J2Ski's Where to Ski in November 2026
Published : 02-Nov-2026 20:29
As November 2026 begins, around 20 ski areas are open across eight countries via glaciers and snow-farming, while most major ski resorts aim to open by early December amid a forecast Super El Niño..
These chairs should be running later this month, Obertauern, Austria
Where to Ski in November 2026
November is the month when we really get a feel for how the northern hemisphere's ski season is going to play out, at least at the start. We begin the month with only about 20 ski areas open – almost all thanks to glaciers or, increasingly, snow-farming efforts – but that number should increase at least tenfold by the final weekend.
So far, the jury is out on how things are going to go, with no hugely encouraging or discouraging signs. The much talked-about Super El Niño is expected to peak later this month, bringing more precipitation to some areas and, while warming overall, colder temperatures to others. After all the hype and often conflicting forecasts, we should soon see just how big an impact it will have.
Most mountains across the northern hemisphere have already seen some autumn snowfall, and unusually, after huge storms brought metres of snow in July and August, you can still ski in the southern hemisphere this year, in what is its final month of meteorological spring. Chile's Valle Nevado has extended its season multiple times, so far to 1 December – the first day of meteorological summer in the southern hemisphere.
Altogether, we start the month with about 20 ski areas already open for the 2026-27 season across eight countries. Most are glaciers or areas created by snow farming in the Alps or Scandinavia, but the first three areas in the US opened in Colorado in the final days of October, and Canada's season is starting early, on 1 November.
For the vast majority of resorts across the northern hemisphere, the ski season will begin either on the final weekend of this month or during one of the first three weekends of December.
Austria
Austria starts November with more centres open than anywhere else in the world, just.
All seven glacier centres are open, with Sölden starting the month with the most terrain open anywhere at this point in the year – about 30km/19 miles of slopes. It staged the opening event of the FIS World Cup in late October, and neighbouring Obergurgl will host the next stage this month. It and Obertauern will be among the first in Europe to open for the season in mid-November with natural cover.
Kitzbühel will also open about 1km/0.6 miles of slopes on its high Resterkogel terrain at the start of the month, thanks to snow farming. Big-name Austrian areas such as Ischgl, The Arlberg and Schladming begin opening on the final weekend of November.
France
French resorts have seen some promising October snowfalls, particularly above 1,800m/5,906ft, and snow as low as 1,000m/3,281ft has briefly turned the roofs of hotels in resorts like Morzine white. It's a bit early to know how things will go, with no significant autumn snowfalls so far and still some unwelcome warmer-than-average spells.
Unlike the other so-called 'big four' Alpine ski nations, no French resorts attempt to open before mid-November anymore. Tignes and Val Thorens are expected to be first, on the weekend of 21/22 November, followed by a handful including Cauterets, Flaine, La Rosière, Les 2 Alpes, Montgenèvre and Val d'Isère on the final weekend of the month. It's not unheard of for resorts to open early if there's a good snowfall in the next few weeks to justify it.
Italy
Italy starts November with three ski areas open for the 2026-27 season, with Cervinia the latest to open on schedule and now offering the largest accessible ski area available from Italy, thanks to its shared Matterhorn glacier slopes with neighbouring Zermatt.
Passo Stelvio and Val Senales are also open, but with much more limited terrain, and Stelvio – for a few weeks in September the only area open in the northern hemisphere – is due to end its 2026 summer ski season a week into the month.
Most Italian ski areas start opening from the final week of the month, including those in the Dolomites, although the Sulden area there (not to be confused with Austria's Sölden over the border) aims to open as early in the month as it can, currently targeting 6 November.
Switzerland
Switzerland starts November with six areas open and usually overtakes Austria to have the most open in Europe during the first half of the month. Currently, Zermatt, Saas-Fee, Engelberg's Titlis glacier and the Diavolezza glacier near St Moritz are open, as well as snow-farmed slopes at Adelboden and Mürren.
Resorts expected to open in the first half of November include Andermatt (Gemsstock), Glacier 3000 near Gstaad, Arosa, Davos and possibly Verbier. Much depends on snow conditions, and after some promising 20cm/8 inch snowfalls around 23 October, the final week of the month was mostly dry, sunny and at times unseasonably warm, so we're still waiting for full winter here too.
Scandinavia
November will begin with four Scandinavian ski areas already open, with increasingly cold weather and ever-shorter days helping maintain snow cover. Three centres – Idre Fjäll in Sweden, plus Levi and Ruka in Finland – are already operating around 1km to 2km/0.6 to 1.2 miles of piste each, using snow farmed from last winter, with recent temperatures also allowing additional snowmaking and natural snowfall on higher terrain.
Norway's Galdhøpiggen glacier summer ski area, previously reserved for race team training, is now welcoming all skiers and is scheduled to continue until 22 November.
Scandinavia's big resorts, such as Åre, Hemsedal, Trysil and Voss, are due to start opening in the latter half of this month.
Pyrenees
Most ski areas in the Pyrenees aim to open for the season around the final weekend of November or in early December, ahead of a week of multiple public holidays in the second week of next month. So nowhere in the Pyrenees is likely to be open for most of this month, although there have been reports of first autumn snowfalls, and in some previous years early heavy snow has led centres to open weeks early – so you never know.
North America
Canada
The Super El Niño expected to be a major influence on North American weather is forecast to peak in November-December. It's not forecast to be particularly good news for Canada, with temperatures expected to be up to 50% higher than average and precipitation in BC expected to be below average.
So far, the autumn has appeared fairly average, with most resorts on Canada's east and west coasts reporting pre-season snowfalls increasing in intensity as winter approaches. As usual, ski areas around Banff are expected to be first to open for 2026-27.
Sunshine and Lake Louise had been targeting the first weekend of the month, but a few days ago Lake Louise announced its second-earliest ever opening would instead be this weekend, on 1 November.
Nakiska and Norquay had targeted the second weekend, but Norquay say they'll also open earlier than planned, on 6 November alongside Sunshine.
Canada and North America's largest resort, Whistler Blackcomb, will open on 21 November. East Coast ski areas are expected to start opening in the latter half of the month. One thing to be aware of is that Alberta and BC have stopped moving the clocks back for daylight saving as of this year (it used to happen on 1 November), meaning darker mornings and lighter afternoons. Most ski areas are switching to 9.30am starts rather than 8.30am, and will stay open an hour later in the afternoons, until 4.30pm.
USA
The US typically starts November with just one or two resorts open but ends the month with more than 100 – far more than any other country – as resorts race to open in time for the Thanksgiving long weekend. This year is an interesting one for weather, with the Super El Niño due to peak from mid-November to mid-December, probably.
This should bring abundant snow to mostly southern states like California, parts of Colorado and especially New Mexico and Arizona, while areas further north may be milder and/or drier than usual. So far there hasn't been much sign of that happening, just a few hints.
There have been pre-season snowfalls across the country, but nothing too significant so far and, as in Europe, it's often been milder than the October average.
The first scheduled resort openings include Mount Rose in California, Brian Head in Utah, and Breckenridge and Copper in Colorado, all of which hope to open, conditions permitting, for the first full weekend of the month. However, Arapahoe Basin opened on 27 October at four hours' notice to ensure it secured the 'first in America' title before anyone else snuck in. It was joined at the weekend by fellow Colorado ski areas Keystone and Wolf Creek, so November begins with three areas open this year.
Asia
Japan
Japan's ski season is underway already, kind of, although most of the country's bigger, better-known resorts are expected to open around the final weekend of November or start of December. Unfortunately, the country is not expecting an epic winter, as El Niño conditions normally mean drier, warmer weather there – but then El Niños and their counterpart La Niñas rarely play out as expected.
Certainly, fresh snowfall has continued to build across Japan's higher slopes, with resorts in Hokkaido now carrying a respectable early-season cover ahead of their planned openings. Several small areas are open already, thanks to all-weather snowmaking. First, as usual, was The Yeti ski area, located on the lower slopes of Mount Fuji, which launched 2026-27 operations on 22 October with its signature all-weather snow strip, overcoming bouts of rain and unseasonably mild temperatures to get things going.
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