Short answer
The first mountain slopes open as early as the end of November 2026 – Vemdalsskalet, Hemavan and Hafjell on 27 November and Geilo on 28 November. Sälen opens Lindvallen on 4 December and the rest of Sälen on 11 December. Åre opens on 11 December and Trysil on 4 December. The big snow guarantees kick in on 18–19 December, and only then are most resorts fully open.
It's a grey evening in early November. The helmet has been found at the very back of the storeroom, the ski boots have been tried on in the hall and someone asks for the third time today: when can we go? Online, the first pictures from the mountains are appearing, narrow white ribbons of artificial snow winding down between brown slopes.
The answer is that the slopes open in stages. A few resorts start as early as the end of November, most in mid-December, and some wait all the way until February. Here are all the planned dates for the Swedish and Norwegian resorts we write about, and how to read them.
The season's four windows
It's easier to plan if you think of the winter as four windows rather than one single opening date:
- The opening window, end of November to mid-December. A handful of slopes on artificial snow, often only at weekends and with short days. Good if you live nearby and want to get going, less good for a whole ski week.
- The guarantee window, from 18–19 December. This is when the big snow guarantees kick in and almost all resorts are open every day. Christmas and New Year fall here.
- The deep-winter window, February and March. The most snow on the slopes, the most runs open and longer days. Sportlov, the Swedish February ski break, falls here.
- The spring window, April and May. Easter and sunshine. Many resorts in the south close in early April, while the high-altitude and northern ones stay open until May.
The tables below show when each resort opens and closes. All dates are planned and subject to snow and weather.
Sweden – opening and closing 2026/27
| Resort | Opens | Closes | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vemdalen – Vemdalsskalet | 27 November | 18 April | Thursday to Sunday until 17 December |
| Hemavan | 27 November | 2 May | Only two lifts, Friday to Sunday, until 13 December |
| Kittelfjäll | 28 November (provisional) | 25 April | Weekends until 13 December, every day from 18 December |
| Sälen – Lindvallen | 4 December | 18 April | May open earlier if there's enough snow |
| Sälen – Högfjället, Tandådalen and Hundfjället | 11 December | 11 April | Snow guarantee from 18 December |
| Storklinten | 4 December | Not published | Opening weekend 4–6 December |
| Åre – Åre village | 11 December | 2 May | Gondola from 18 December, the high zone from 8 February |
| Duved and Tegefjäll | 18 December | 4 April | Björnen in Åre opens the same day |
| Kläppen | 11 December | 4 April | Its own lift pass, snow guarantee on at least 16 runs |
| Branäs | 11 December | 4 April | Opening weekend 11–13 December |
| Kungsberget | 11 December | 4 April | Opening weekend 11–13 December |
| Lofsdalen | 11 December | Not published | |
| Storlien | 12 December | 25 April | Evening skiing on Fridays |
| Borgafjäll | 11 December at the earliest | 25 April | Only opens once there's enough snow |
| Hassela | The weekend of week 49 | Not published | Opening weekends in weeks 49–51 if there's enough snow |
| Funäsfjällen | 18–19 December | 18 April | Hamra in Tänndalen at weekends from 7 November, Ramundberget the weekend of 11–13 December |
| Björnrike | 18 December | 11 April | |
| Klövsjö and Storhogna | 18 December | 4 April | |
| Järvsö | 18 December | 4 April | |
| Bjursås | 18 December | Not published | May quietly open earlier |
| Idre Fjäll | 19 December | 4 April | Early opening not published, see below |
| Romme Alpin | 19 December | 4 April | |
| Säfsen | 19 December | 4 April | |
| Orsa Grönklitt | 19 December | Not published | The cross-country tracks opened on 24 October |
| Sunne | 26 December | Not published | |
| Björkliden | 4 February | 2 May | Late start, long spring |
| Riksgränsen | 18 February | 23 May | Skiing right up to the end of May |
Norway – opening and closing 2026/27
| Resort | Opens | Closes | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gålå | Weekends from mid-November | 29 March, weekends in April if there's enough snow | Only Blåbærfjell at first, regular start 19 December |
| Hafjell | 27 November | 11 April | Planned opening day |
| Geilo | 28 November | 18 April | Vestlia and Kikut first, Geilosiden and Havsdalen on 5 December |
| Ål | 1 December | Not published | |
| Trysil | 4 December | 18 April | Turistsenteret first, Høyfjellssenteret on 12 December, Høgegga and Skihytta on 18 December |
| Voss | 4 December | 11 April | Opening weekends 4–6 and 11–13 December, every day from 18 December |
| Lifjell | 5 December | 28 March | Weekends, Christmas, the Norwegian winter break and Easter |
| Hemsedal | 11 December | 2 May | Evening skiing from the very first Friday |
| Gautefall | 23 December | Not published | |
| Sirdal | 26 December | 11 April | Tjørhomfjellet, Ålsheia closes on 4 April |
More about the lift times day by day in Hafjell can be found in Hafjell's opening hours.
Not published yet – last season's pattern
Some resorts hadn't put out dates for 2026/27 at the beginning of November. In that case, last winter is the best guide:
| Resort | 2026/27 | Last season's pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Kvitfjell | Not published yet | Opened on 28 November 2025 with the lifts that link the mountain, the rest in December |
| Skeikampen | Not published yet | 29 November 2025 to 12 April 2026 |
| Oppdal | Not published yet | Normally opens at the end of November or around the turn of the month |
| Idre Fjäll, early opening | Not published yet | The first slopes opened on 1 December 2025, regular season from 19 December |
For Idre, the regular season is confirmed, and the snow guarantee applies from 19 December. You can read more about lift passes and discounts in Idre in Idre Fjäll's lift passes.
Why Christmas and sportlov have the most reliable snow
An opening date doesn't mean the whole mountain is open. It means that something is open. The first few weeks it's often one or two lifts and a few runs on artificial snow, while the rest of the mountain waits for cold weather and natural snow.
You can see this clearly in how the snow guarantees are set. The largest lift company in Sälen, Åre, Vemdalen, Trysil and Hemsedal promises a certain number of open runs, but only from 18 December. In Sälen and Åre it's at least 30 runs, in Vemdalen 20, in Trysil 15 and in Hemsedal 13. Idre Fjäll promises at least ten runs from 19 December. Before those dates there are no such promises.
Three things make December and early January harder than sportlov:
- The snow. Natural snow builds up throughout the winter. In December much of the skiing is on artificial snow that has been made over the past few weeks, and a spell of mild weather shows straight away. SMHI explains that south of a line from central Värmland through southern Dalarna to central Gästrikland, you can't count on snow cover all winter. That's why resorts such as Romme and Säfsen don't open until around Christmas.
- The light. The days are at their shortest around Christmas. In Sälen most lifts close at 15.30 until early February and at 16.30 after that, and in Vemdalen most lifts close at 15.00 until the end of January. In Hemavan, the unlit lifts only run in the middle of the day until February. Short, dark days also mean shorter sessions for small children, and how to decide when it's too cold is covered in children on the slopes when it's below freezing.
- What's open. The high zone in Åre doesn't open until 8 February, and in the far north Björkliden and Riksgränsen don't start until February, once the polar night is over.
If you want the whole mountain, the children's areas and ski school all up and running at the same time, the 2027 sportlov (Swedish winter sports break) and the 2027 Easter holidays are the safest weeks, and how to choose a week by your children's ages is explained in ski holiday with kids. The Christmas holidays work well at the high-altitude resorts, but expect fewer open runs than in March. If you're celebrating New Year in the cabin, there are tips in our guide to new Year in the mountains.
Tip: The weeks in January after Epiphany have at least as much snow as Christmas, but no school holidays. If you can take time off then, you'll get quieter slopes.
Artificial snow – why some slopes open first
A snow cannon mixes water and compressed air and sprays out tiny droplets that freeze in the air. For it to work, you need an effective temperature below about minus 2.5 degrees, and the more humid the air, the colder it has to be. It works best at around minus ten in clear, dry weather. At marginal temperatures, a big cannon makes only a fraction of the snow it can manage on a cold night.
Water sets a limit too. On one Norwegian mountain, the pumps can only supply about half the cannons at a time, which is why the runs that link the mountain together are prioritised. The pattern is the same everywhere:
- The main slope by the village opens first. Lindvallen in Sälen before Högfjället, Åre village before Duved, Turistsenteret in Trysil before Høgegga and Skihytta, Vestlia in Geilo before Geilosiden.
- Children's areas and beginners' slopes near the village are often early in the queue, as they're short and easy to cover.
- Summits, forest runs and off-piste wait for natural snow. The high zone in Åre and the long runs on the mountainsides open last.
A few resorts cheat the calendar a little. Storklinten north of Boden stores big piles of snow under insulation all summer and spreads it out in the autumn, and in Tänndalen, Hamra is open at weekends from as early as 7 November. The lift company in the five big mountain resorts is also adding 489 new snow cannons ahead of the winter, most of them in Vemdalen and Sälen.
Buying lift passes in advance
The lift pass is one of the biggest costs of a ski week, and it almost always pays to buy it in advance:
- Buy online. The largest lift company states plainly that the pass is always cheapest online and that the price drops the earlier you book. Idre Fjäll also gives a discount for booking online.
- Book early. Idre Fjäll gives an extra discount if you book more than 40 days before arrival. Counting back from sportlov, that means you need to book in early January.
- Season passes have their own deadlines. Several smaller ski areas sell season passes more cheaply in the autumn. In Sunne the discount applies until 30 November and in Bjursås until 23 December.
- The children's passes. Small children ski free at many resorts, for example up to and including age six with the largest lift company, but they often need their own pass. The limit varies between resorts, so check the resort page.
- Collect it from the machine. The pass is loaded onto a key card that you collect from a machine. Keep it for next year, so you don't have to buy a new one.
Early in the season there's an extra safety net. The largest lift company offers free rebooking and cancellation for arrivals between 2 November and 17 December 2026. So if you find a cheap week in the opening window, you can book it and move it if the snow doesn't come. Read the terms for your particular resort before you book, as the smaller ski areas have their own rules.
How to see which slopes are actually open
The fact that a resort has "opened" says nothing about which slopes are running. Here's how to find out:
- Lift status on the resort's website or app. It shows how many lifts and runs are open right now, for example 3 of 41. The figure is updated during the day, and a lift can close for wind in the middle of the morning.
- The piste map next to it. Compare the numbers in the lift status with the map. What matters isn't how many are open, but whether your slope and your lift are. An open mountain with a closed children's area is no help to a four-year-old.
- The webcam. A picture from the top says more than a number. If you see a narrow white ribbon between brown grass, you know it'll be crowded.
- The morning update. Some resorts put out a short report early in the morning on what's opening, and it applies to that same day.
- Ask about the connections. Early in the season a lift can be open while the run back to the village is closed. Then you'll have to ride the lift down.
If you haven't chosen a resort yet, the guide to choosing the right ski resort will help, and if the children are skiing for the first time, there's everything about planning the trip in the first ski trip with children and the first days on the slopes in teaching kids to ski. If you're already packing for an early week, there's the packing list for a ski trip with kids. If you live in Stockholm and want to get going before the mountains open, there are the ski slopes near Stockholm.
The evening before an early ski day – five checks
Frequently asked questions
When does Sälen open in 2026?
Lindvallen opens on 4 December 2026, with a test weekend, or earlier if there's enough snow. Högfjället, Tandådalen and Hundfjället open on 11 December. Kläppen, which has its own lift pass, also opens on 11 December. The snow guarantee in Sälen applies from 18 December.
Which ski resorts open first in the 2026/27 season?
In Sweden, Vemdalsskalet and Hemavan open on 27 November, and at Hamra in Tänndalen you can ski at weekends from as early as 7 November. In Norway, Hafjell opens on 27 November and Geilo on 28 November, and Gålå plans to open Blåbærfjell at weekends from mid-November if there's enough snow.
Is the snow reliable in early December?
Not quite. The earliest weeks rely almost entirely on artificial snow, and usually only a few runs and lifts are open. The big snow guarantees don't start until 18–19 December. If you want the whole mountain open, choose Christmas, sportlov or Easter.
Which ski resort stays open latest into spring 2027?
Riksgränsen has planned the 2027 season from 18 February to 23 May. Hemavan, Åre village, Hemsedal and Hamra in Tänndalen are open until 2 May.
Is the lift pass cheaper if you buy it in advance?
Often, yes. Several lift companies say that the lift pass is always cheapest online and that the price drops the earlier you book. Idre Fjäll gives an extra discount if you book more than 40 days before arrival. Small children ski free at many resorts, but the age limit varies and they often need their own pass.
How can you see which slopes are open?
Every ski area has a website or app with lift status, showing how many of the lifts and runs are open right now, for example 0 of 41. Check the same morning, as the status can change during the day when wind and snow have an effect.
