
Söllereck delivers a brilliant family-focused skiing experience in the Allgäu Alps, with 13km of beautifully groomed slopes catering primarily to beginners and intermediates. This accessible mountain combines excellent learning terrain with spectacular views extending to Austria's Vorarlberg region. The uncrowded pistes and authentic Bavarian character make Söllereck an excellent alternative to larger, busier resorts, while still providing high-quality facilities and reliable snow conditions throughout winter.
Söllereck is the family-focused ski area above Oberstdorf in the Allgäu, with 13 runs over 14 kilometres and a vertical of 630 metres from 820 to 1,450 metres. More than half the terrain is beginner at 56%, with 39% intermediate and just 5% advanced. A gondola and a six-seat chair do the heavy lifting, backed by three surface lifts and two T-bars. The modern gondola leaves from a base station beside the car park, which makes the logistics easy for parents juggling kids, boots and skis on a busy weekend.
Wide, moderately pitched slopes make this the natural classroom for Oberstdorf ski schools, and a dedicated children's area at the bottom, Söllis Winterwelt, keeps small skiers occupied with practice lifts and figure slaloms. Cruising blues dominate, with a few reds for those who want a little more edge. There is no real steep or off-piste challenge, so strong skiers usually head elsewhere in the Oberstdorf valley. Söllereck suits young families, first-timers and relaxed cruisers who value gentle terrain, easy access and a tidy mountain over technical difficulty.
Söllereck typically operates from December through March, with the most consistent conditions in January and February. The resort benefits from substantial natural snowfall, averaging 3-4m annually, complemented by strategic snowmaking on main runs. The predominantly north-facing slopes maintain excellent snow quality throughout the season, often delivering good skiing conditions well into March. The relaxed atmosphere makes it particularly appealing during school holidays when larger resorts face overcrowding.
Located near Oberstdorf in Bavaria's beautiful Allgäu region, Söllereck sits approximately 180km from Munich and 100km from Memmingen Airport. The resort enjoys a spectacular position with stunning views extending into Austria. This accessible location allows for easy connectivity with nearby resorts including Fellhorn-Kanzelwand, creating diverse skiing options. The Olympic town of Oberstdorf provides extensive accommodation, dining options, and additional winter activities including world-class ski jumping facilities and cross-country trails.
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Mammoth Mountain is first up in California, targeting Friday 13 November after a dusting of September snow. Heavenly and Northstar follow on 20 November, Palisades Tahoe on Wednesday 25 November and Sugar Bowl on 27 November, with Kirkwood on 4 December and June Mountain on 19 December. Plenty of smaller areas have no date yet. A super El Niño favours the Sierra, but a warmer storm track is the catch.

Arapahoe Basin, Keystone and Winter Park are all chasing an October start, though none has a firm date yet. The first dated openers are Breckenridge and Copper on Friday 6 November, then Vail on 13 November, with most of the rest bunched around US Thanksgiving. Hesperus did not open at all last season. A super El Niño offers hope but no guarantee, and forecasters say the southern mountains have the better odds.

Dolomiti Superski is spending around €100 million across its 12 areas before winter. Kronplatz gets a new 10-passenger gondola with a middle station, 3 Zinnen gets Helmissimo, and Val di Fassa swaps a chairlift for a gondola above Col Valvacin. New water-storage basins and upgraded snowmaking follow, and construction has started on the San Martino to Passo Rolle link. A peak adult day pass is €89.

Brian Head is targeting 6 November, though last year it aimed for 7 November and did not open until the 25th. Park City, Alta and Solitude are pencilled in for 20 November, Snowbird and Snowbasin for 27 November, and Deer Valley for 5 December. Eagle Point will stay closed after the Cottonwood Fire. A super El Niño is forecast, but the big snow is not expected until January.

Hintertux became Austria's second glacier to open for 2026-27 on Friday 2 October, after the Pitztal Glacier. Twelve kilometres of piste are running around the Olperer and Gefrorene Wand, served by one gondola and two drag lifts, with the Betterpark also open. Lifts officially run 8:15 am to 4:30 pm, but skiing stops at 2 pm for now.

A historically poor western winter cut Vail Resorts' annual net income from $280 million to $147.5 million and skier visits by 13.4 per cent. Now 2026-27 pass units are down 12 per cent as of 18 September, worse than the 10 per cent flagged in spring. Vail blames the weather and thinks some buyers are simply waiting, and it forecasts a rebound if the snow behaves.

Arizona Snowbowl advertised eight $1 lift ticket days this winter. Go looking and only three are showing - 10 March, 1 April and 10 April - so the rest may already have gone. The consolation is a calendar full of $9 days, including all but one day in April. Opening day is 20 November, weather permitting, and opening weekend is $19.

For years, Whitewater's Short Side was where you ducked a rope and hoped for the best: unmapped, ungroomed and unpatrolled. This winter it's inbounds. Six new runs of glades and fall-line skiing add 190 acres (about 77 hectares), taking the resort past 1,400 acres in total. F2 Logging spent a month in the trees to make it happen, and opening day is pencilled in for 4 December. Bonanza now needs less snow to groom, too.
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