Areas in South America are opening for their 2021 winter this week, as the last area known to be still open for winter 20-21 in Asia, Gassan in Japan, nears the end of its 2021 run.

As the sweltering summer heat persists in the Northern Hemisphere, the unknowns associated with the upcoming 2020 ski season persist with it.

As skiing resumes in Australia and New Zealand and bookings reopen for the upcoming ski season in the U.S. and Europe, the future is far from certain. Many ski operators, local businesses, and resorts rely on events outside of skiing and snowboarding for income, particularly to entice a younger crowd–many of which cannot now take place.

Mt Ruapehu's dry brown mountain has transformed to a white winter wonderland in the past few days and not a minute too soon as the first of its skifields gets ready to open its doors tomorrow.

With New Zealand’s Coronavirus lockdown having been eased, ski resorts are cautiously optimistic they will be able to open for a locals’ season, albeit under tight restrictions.

Once again, the snow has come early across the Tasman, with falls of up to 45 centimetres across the Australian mountains in the last week of May.

If skiing and riding in the summer is on your bucket list, make it happen this year with options from California to the Southern Hemisphere to the European Alps.

 The biggest storms of the season so far dropped upwards of 24 inches on resorts throughout Australia and New Zealand.

The winter action is just about to begin begin in New Zealand. Earliest opening is June 7 at Mt. Hutt. Others open mid-late June. Here is a preview of what’s new: 

The Winter Games NZ 2013 will be the largest international snow sports event ever held in in the Down Under nation. The Games are set for Aug. 12-25, 2013.