Skiing in September in Scandinavia

Can you ski in Scandinavia in September?

No, you cannot ski in Scandinavia in September. The Nordic resorts run a winter and spring season, not a summer one. The far northern late season resorts, led by Riksgransen, close after their long spring runs around midsummer, and the main Swedish and Norwegian winter resorts such as Are, Trysil and Hemsedal do not open until November. September falls squarely in the gap between the two, with no lift served snow anywhere in the region.

Scandinavia also has very little permanent glacier skiing, and what summer glacier operations exist in Norway, on high ice fields, wind down well before September. So unlike the high Alps, the Nordic countries offer no autumn glacier fallback. If you are set on skiing in September, you will need to look to the high Alpine glaciers or the southern hemisphere, and treat the Scandinavian mountains as an autumn destination instead.

What are the Nordic mountains like in September?

September is autumn in the Nordic mountains, and it is one of the most beautiful times to visit, just not on skis. This is the season Scandinavians call the autumn colors, when the birch forests and tundra turn gold and red, the summer crowds have gone, and the air is crisp and clear. The ski resorts run as hiking and mountain biking bases, with some lifts open for walkers and cyclists into early autumn, and the high fells offer superb trekking under big northern skies.

Late in the month the first snows can dust the highest tops, a sign of the winter to come, but this is cosmetic rather than skiable, and the lifts stay shut. For anyone who loves the mountains and is flexible on the activity, September delivers quiet trails, dramatic light, autumn foliage and the chance of early northern lights as the nights draw in. It is a genuinely rewarding mountain month in Scandinavia. It simply offers no skiing.

If you want to ski in September, what should you do instead?

If skiing in September is the fixed part of your plan, the Nordic countries cannot help, so look elsewhere. The nearest option is summer and autumn glacier skiing in the high Alps, where a few resorts above 3,000 meters open a glacier for early season turns, often relaunching their autumn skiing in September on firm morning snow. This is the closest reliable September skiing to Scandinavia, best suited to a half day of laps rather than a full week.

The other option is the southern hemisphere, where September is still winter in the Andes and in Australia and New Zealand, though their seasons are winding toward spring by late in the month. Both are long haul, higher budget trips. For most travelers the simplest path is to enjoy Scandinavia as an autumn destination in September and plan the skiing for winter or, better still, for the long and special Nordic spring.

When should you ski Scandinavia instead of September?

Plan a Scandinavian ski trip for the winter and spring, roughly November to early May depending on the resort. The main winter resorts, including Are, Trysil and Hemsedal, open from November and ski through to late April, with peak conditions from December to March. For deep midwinter powder and the full Nordic winter experience, target February and March, accepting short, cold days.

The single best window, though, is April, the standout month for Scandinavian skiing, when a deep stable snowpack meets long bright days and forgiving spring corn snow, and the famous late season at Riksgransen runs on toward the midnight sun. If your dream is skiing under a sun that barely sets, that belongs to late spring in the far north, not to September. Either way, the region that holds no skiable snow in September rewards a winter or spring trip handsomely.

September in Scandinavia: the case for and against

Where to ski in Scandinavia in September

For September we would point you first at these, each with our full review:

• Are. The largest resort in Sweden, the place to book for a deep winter or vibrant spring week once the lifts return in November.
• Hemsedal. A snow sure Norwegian resort with a guarantee on its main vertical to around the first of May, a strong winter and spring choice.
• Trysil. The largest resort in Norway, with one of the longest seasons in the region from November into late April.
• Riksgransen. The most northerly resort in the world, for late season and midnight sun spring skiing, the antidote to a snowless September.

Common questions