Finland, Europe
Ruka
Explore Ruka's guaranteed snow season and Arctic beauty. Experience Finland's longest ski season, pristine nature, and Northern Lights.
Season 2025 - 2026
Opens
5 Oct 2025
Closes
4 May 2026
Days open
211
Annual snow
2m
The Overview
Ruka stands as one of Finland's most diverse winter destinations, where pristine Arctic wilderness meets perfectly groomed slopes. With 35 runs spread across the fell, this Finnish resort offers reliable snow conditions from October to May. The resort's unique microclimate and advanced snowmaking system ensure exceptional skiing conditions throughout the season, while the surrounding Ruka village provides a cozy atmosphere with authentic Finnish hospitality and modern amenities.
201m
Vertical
39
Runs
20 km
Piste
2m
Annual snow
The Terrain
39 runs across 20 km of piste
Ruka spreads 39 runs across 20 km of piste of terrain. It leans beginner at 47%, with 18 beginner runs to find your feet and 6 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
39
runs
39 runs across 4 grades
Beginner18 runs · 47%
Intermediate15 runs · 38%
Advanced6 runs · 15%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Ruka
Experience one of Europe's longest ski seasons at Ruka, spanning from early October to mid-May. The resort's location near the Arctic Circle creates unique skiing conditions, with illuminated slopes during the polar night period and spectacular spring skiing under extended daylight hours. Summer transforms Ruka into an adventure hub, offering hiking trails, mountain biking routes, and bear watching experiences in the surrounding wilderness.
Season 2025 - 2026
5 Oct 2025
Opens
4 May 2026
Closes
211
Days open
2 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Ruka, and where to stay
Positioned in Finnish Lapland, Ruka is easily accessible via Kuusamo Airport, just 25 minutes away. The resort sits in the Kuusamo region, renowned for its pristine nature and National Parks. The compact village design places accommodations, restaurants, and services within walking distance of the slopes. This convenient layout, combined with regular shuttle services, makes exploring both the resort and surrounding wilderness attractions effortless.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Ruka, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Arosa to Replace 40-Year-Old Hörnli Lifts With New Gondola and Chair
Arosa's Hörnli sector is getting its biggest overhaul in decades. The 1986 gondola and 1994 chairlift linking toward Lenzerheide are both being replaced, with capacity up, tower count down and a new base station lower on the hill. At roughly CHF 67 million, it is the largest single investment Arosa Bergbahnen has ever made - and the target opening has already slipped a year, to December 2028. Here is what is changing, and why the timeline moved.
20 Aug 2026
Sundance Mountain Resort Is Getting a New High-Speed Quad and More Back Mountain Terrain This Winter
Sundance Mountain Resort's back mountain is finally getting a proper lift. The Electric Horseman Express opens for 2026-27, unlocking a new bowl next to Bishop's Bowl and three expert gladed chutes across roughly 105 fresh acres - on top of the Storyteller ridge run that debuted in preview form last season. It's Sundance's biggest expansion since 1985, and it turns a three-lift slog into a single six-minute ride to Bearclaw Summit.
19 Aug 2026
Levi and Ruka Confirm October 2 Opening on Farmed Summer Snow
Finland's Levi and Ruka open for the 2026-27 season on October 2, more than seven weeks before most of Europe sees a lift turn. Neither resort is waiting on autumn snowfall - both are skiing on snow buried since last spring, insulated through the Finnish summer and dug back out for opening day. It is not a shortcut. It is a decades-old system now spreading from the Arctic Circle to Idaho, Utah, Vermont and Colorado. Here is how snow farming actually works, and why it is catching on.
19 Aug 2026
Nassfeld Invests €13 Million in New 6-Seater Chairlift for 2026/27 Season
Nassfeld is putting €13 million into a new 6-seater chairlift, the Tressdorfer Almbahn, connecting Sonnleitn with the Tressdorfer Alm from December 2026. It replaces three ageing drag lifts and will run through summer too, from June 2027, moving up to 2,500 people an hour on the roughly three-minute ride. It's the latest step in Carinthia's largest ski resort building out a genuine year-round offering, following last year's Gartnerkofelbahn gondola.
17 Aug 2026
Stelvio Glacier Suspends Summer Skiing, Leaving Continental Europe Without a Lift-Served Slope
Italy's Stelvio Glacier has pulled the plug on summer skiing from August 15. It was the last lift-served ski option left standing in continental Europe, and now there's none. Operator SIFAS pointed to persistent heat, storms, and a snowpack that simply wasn't refreezing overnight anymore. The cable car keeps running. Whether skiing comes back later this summer depends on the weather turning - and right now, nobody's promising anything.
15 Aug 2026
Maverick Mountain's Only Chairlift Destroyed as Sand Creek Fire Tears Through Montana Ski Area
Firefighters saved every base building at Maverick Mountain, Montana, but the resort's sole chairlift didn't survive the Sand Creek Fire. Owners Erik and Kristi Borge say the lift is "most likely" out for the 2026/27 season after flames tore through the mountain on August 8. The wildfire has since grown past 27,700 acres with zero percent containment. It's a gutting result for the tiny, one-lift operation near Dillon - though the lodge, groomers and equipment all made it through untouched.
15 Aug 2026
Fairmont Niseko: New Luxury Resort Revives Stalled La Plume Site for Early 2028 Opening
Fairmont is bringing its second Japanese property to Niseko, and this one's got history. The 165-room resort will rise on the site of the stalled La Plume project, which collapsed into bankruptcy in 2025 before J-Will Partners bought the site for redevelopment. Set between Mount Yotei and Mount Annupuri, it's slated for an early 2028 opening - putting it in play for the 2027/28 season. Expect two restaurants, a spa, onsen bathing, and a kids' club, a short drive from Niseko Village and Hirafu.
12 Aug 2026
Saas-Fee Closes Its Glacier to Summer Skiing as Heat Wave Drags On
Saas-Fee is closing its glacier to summer skiing from Monday, August 10 - the second major Swiss resort to shut in under two weeks after Zermatt suspended operations on August 1. Persistent heat and warm nights that won't let the glacier refreeze are behind the call, per Saastal Bergbahnen. That leaves Italy's Stelvio as the only glacier ski area open in the Alps. Reopening could come as early as August 17, though nothing's confirmed - and racing teams are already looking south instead.
8 Aug 2026
Current conditions
Snow Report
Updated 20 Aug 2026
492m
summit
+0cm
new snow · last 24 hours
Overcast11°C / 14°C · N 8km/h
Snowfall
24 hours
0cm
48 hours
0cm
7 days
0cm
Base depth
0cm
Season total
0cm
Total lifts21
Live open status isn’t available right now.
5 Oct 2025 - 4 May 2026
Hour by Hour
Next 48 hours· Updated Aug 21, 2026 at 4:02 AM
Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
7-Day Outlook
492 mUpdated Aug 21, 2026 at 4:02 AMOpen-Meteo
Days 1–7
0.0cm
Days 8–14
0.0cm
Fri, Aug 21
Light Drizzle
Temp14° / 11°°C
Snow0.0cm(71%)
Wind8 km/h N
Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.
Understanding the Ruka snow report
Planning a day at Ruka? Our snow report combines official mountain data with live weather so you know exactly what conditions look like right now, from the 291m base to the 492m summit.
Snow measurements
Snow depth at Ruka is tracked at both the base and summit, since the two elevations often see different totals — roughly a 201m difference here. We report fresh snowfall over the last 24 hours and 7 days alongside the running season total, in both metric and imperial units.
Weather conditions
Snow quality tracks closely with temperature and wind. We surface both alongside the snowfall data so you can judge whether conditions at Ruka are holding up or starting to soften.
Data sources
Snowfall and depth figures for Ruka come from official mountain sources; weather and outlook data comes from independent forecasting services. The mountain is served by 21 lifts, including a 8-person chairlift and a quad chairlift.
When to check
Snow reports are typically updated early morning and late afternoon. For the most current conditions, check back regularly, especially if a winter storm is approaching.