Which mountain resort has the longest ski season?

Riksgränsen has the longest ski season in Sweden. The resort opens late – often not until February – and normally remains open well into June, offering skiing under the midnight sun; no other Swedish resort comes close. Hemavan and Tärnaby have the second-longest seasons, followed by Åre and the higher-altitude parts of Funäsfjällen. Sälen, Idre and the more southerly resorts usually close sometime towards the end of April.

But ”the longest season” is rarely the same as ”the best week”. If you want to go in May, you really should head north; if you want to go in March or at Easter, you have the whole country to choose from. Here we go through what’s actually open and when, and for those looking for spring accommodation in the mountains what that means in practice.

Season table: the longest ski season in Sweden, resort by resort

Approximate normal years – always check the venue’s own seasonal dates before booking, as they change every year:

• Riksgränsen: Opens around February, usually closes in June. The latest end to the season in Sweden.
• Hemavan and Tärnaby: Opens in November–December and usually remains open until May.
• Åre: Opens in November; usually closes around the end of April or beginning of May.
• Funäsfjällen and Vemdalen: Opens in November; usually closes in late April.
• Sälen and Idre Fjäll: Opens in November, usually closes at the end of April.
• Branäs and Kläppen: Opens in November–December; closes last amongst the larger resorts.

Riksgränsen and Hemavan – an extension of early spring

Riksgränsen is a unique case in Swedish skiing history. Its location near Narvik and the Atlantic Ocean brings huge amounts of snow, but also winter weather that often means the resort doesn’t even open until February – it’s too windy and too dark. On the other hand, the season lasts right into June, with heliskiing, off-piste skiing and the famous midnight sun skiing in May. Hemavan and Tärnaby offer a more conventional but long spring season: Tärnaby with steep terrain, Hemavan with more family-friendly skiing and plenty of spring snow. Both require a journey – ten hours by car from Stockholm to Hemavan, considerably longer to Riksgränsen, where a flight or overnight train is the realistic option.

Why latitude is more important than altitude in Sweden

In the Alps, the length of the season is determined by altitude; in Sweden, it is determined primarily by latitude. Our mountains are low by Alpine standards – even the highest ski resorts lie well below the tree line by Central European standards – so the difference in altitude between a southern and a northern resort is not enough to compensate for the fact that spring simply arrives later further north. Added to this is the angle of the sun: in April, the sun is significantly lower in Lapland than in Dalarna, which means the snow lasts longer even at the same temperature. This explains why Riksgränsen, at a moderate altitude, outperforms any resort further south, regardless of how high it is situated.

What’s actually open at the end of the season

One important detail that few people realise: just because a resort is open doesn’t mean that everything is open. At the end of April, normally only a selection of the lifts and runs are in operation, usually the north-facing ones and those with the thickest layer of artificial snow. The ski school may have limited opening hours, on-piste restaurants may be closed, and the ski bus runs less frequently. The same applies at the start of the season in November and December. You should therefore always check the number of open lifts and runs – not just the season dates – before booking a trip at the start or end of the season. The resorts publish this information daily. Our review of when the lifts open and close describes how it works in Sälen.

Sälen’s season: when it starts and how long it lasts

Sälen opens its first slopes in November thanks to extensive snowmaking and normally remains open until the end of April. This is a perfectly adequate season for virtually everyone, except those who specifically want to ski in May. We have compiled the details regarding dates, early openings and the final weeks of the season in how long the skiing season is in Sälen – Here, we shall simply note that Sälen ranks in the middle of the Swedish field in terms of season length and at the top in terms of the start of the season, as its snowmaking capacity is amongst the largest in the country.

Spring skiing with the family – sunshine, slush and practical experience

For many people, early spring is the best part of the season: daylight until late in the evening, temperatures above freezing in the sun, short queues and lower prices. However, the reality is quite different from the height of winter. The snow is hard in the morning and loose in the afternoon, meaning the best hours are between ten and two. You should wear lighter clothing but much stronger sun protection – the glare from the snow in April is more intense than most people realise. With children, spring weeks often work better than February weeks, as the cold doesn’t disrupt the day. We’ve put together a list of things to do in Sälen during that period in what to do in early spring.

When you’re planning a trip up north instead

If you’re planning to go skiing in May, there’s no question about it: head to Riksgränsen or Hemavan. The same applies if Easter falls late in April and skiing is the whole point of the trip, or if you’d rather have spring snow and off-piste skiing than groomed runs. In that case, the journey north is worth every hour, and the alternative – taking a chance on a more southerly resort and hoping for the best – is a worse option. However, don’t head north just for the sake of a longer season if you’re travelling in January, February or March. During those months, snow conditions are similar throughout the mountain range, and the extra hours’ journey time won’t get you anywhere. We’ll go through which resorts are best at Easter in A comparison of snow conditions over Easter.

Summary – the length of the skiing season in Sweden only matters during certain months

Riksgränsen has the longest ski season in Sweden, followed by Hemavan and Tärnaby – that’s a fact and it won’t change. But the question is only relevant if you’re planning to go in May or during a very late Easter. If you’re going at any time between December and mid-April, the length of the season doesn’t matter at all, and in that case you should choose your destination based on travel time, who you’re travelling with and accommodation instead. So choose your destination based on which month you can travel: May means heading north, April means high-altitude and north-facing resorts, and the rest of the winter means you’re free to choose. If you’d like help finding a house for a week in spring in Sälenfjällen, please do get in touch – for example, a a cottage with a spa after a spot of spring skiing.