Summer heat isn't sparing even Europe's highest ski resort: Zermatt has closed its glacier slopes to recreational skiers for the time being. High temperatures are eating away at the snow cover on the Theodul Glacier — a stark reminder of just how difficult summer skiing has become. Across the rest of the Alps, too, the number of options keeps shrinking.
Temperatures Above 15 Degrees
Zermatt Bergbahnen had already responded to the tough conditions back in early July, cutting daily operating hours by an hour. But even with the earlier 12 p.m. closing time, the snow cover kept deteriorating. Now the glacier slopes remain closed until further notice — only a handful of reserved training areas are still available to race teams.
Most recently, just two runs and three T-bar lifts were open on the Plateau Rosa. At times, temperatures on the glacier climbed above 15 degrees Celsius. That warmth softens the snow quickly, while the protective layer covering the ice keeps getting thinner. When the resort will reopen to the public depends on how the weather and snow conditions develop from here.
Wettervorhersage
How the Other Glaciers Are Faring
Zermatt isn't alone in facing these problems. At the Hintertux Glacier in Tyrol, skiing has also come to a halt, with the start of the new season not expected until late September. In Saas-Fee, Switzerland, winter sports enthusiasts can still ski on the Mittelallalin in the mornings — slopes there remain open daily from 7 a.m. to noon through the end of August. At the Stelvio Pass in South Tyrol, skiing is likewise still running in the mornings for now.
In France, the short summer skiing windows have already come to a close. Les 2 Alpes shut down its glacier skiing on July 5. In Tignes, the season, originally scheduled to run until July 19, was cut short and ended on July 15 due to conditions. On the Pisaillas Glacier in Val d'Isère, skiing is limited to just a few weeks in June regardless.
Zermatt's temporary shutdown underscores a trend playing out across the entire Alpine region: summer skiing is increasingly concentrated on fewer and fewer glaciers, within ever-shorter windows. Even high altitude no longer guarantees uninterrupted skiing through long heat waves. The end of continuous summer ski operations across the Alps is looking more and more like a real possibility.
