A Tale of 2 Summer Ski Areas: Norway’s Stryn Sommer Ski Announces Early Closure While Fonna Sees 3 Feet of Fresh Snow

Julia Schneemann | | Post Tag for Industry NewsIndustry News
The Norwegian flag flying at Stryn Sommer Ski. | Image: Stryn Sommer Ski Facebook

Not all Norwegian summer ski areas are created equal, and while Fonna near the Hardangerfjord is having a fantastic season with record snowfalls, Stryn Sommer Ski has announced the resort will be closing early. Stryn’s last day for the 2024 season will be this Sunday, June 16, as the warm temperatures have melted too much of the resort’s snow.

”The last day for the 2024 season will be Sunday 16 June. After a long and gloomy spring, the fresh snow and cold came a bit late. We hope that many will still have the opportunity to take a trip to Stryn. We still have good terrain park offerings and freeride areas in the resort.”
— Stryn Facebook

There are only six summer-only ski areas in the world, and Norway is home to three of them: Stryn, Fonna, and Galdhøpiggen.

While Stryn is further north, it is located at a lower elevation of 3,494 feet (1,065 meters) on the Tystig Glacier and reaches a peak elevation of 4,429 feet (1,350 meters). Meanwhile, Fonna is located at a base elevation of 3,937 feet (1,200 meters) and tops out at 4,790 feet (1,460 meters). While snow fell at Fonna, the precipitation came down as rain in Stryn and eroded the snow cover. Fonna reported having received more than 1 meter (3 feet) of snow last week and the snow has consistenly kept falling this week. Snow depth in  Fonna as of June 12 is 650 cm (236 inches) at base and 760 cm (299 inches) at peak.

While it’s a shame for Stryn Sommer Ski to close so soon, there are four days left to make the most of the short season at Stryn. The season at Stryn is never particularly long and typically ends in mid-July, but this season’s warm temperatures shortened that season significantly. Stryn opened on May 25, 2024, and this week’s closure means that the resort will have operated for only three and a bit weeks this year .

 


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