Start of snow cannons at Sestriere on 24 October 2026
Date of the event:
At dawn on 24 October 2026, thanks to a sharp drop in temperatures, the programmed snowmaking cannons of the Vialattea ski area come into operation for the first time this season in the Sestriere area. The start-up comes ahead of the opening of the slopes, expected on Saturday 5 December 2026 [1].
Weather conditions
The activation of the cannons takes advantage of favourable conditions linked to a weather disturbance passing through between the previous afternoon and the night, which also brought a light dusting of natural snow at relatively high altitudes, from around 2000–2200 metres upward [1]. A similar episode had already occurred between 8 and 9 October 2026, when another disturbance had dropped about ten centimetres of snow on the Colle del Sestriere and on the highest peaks of the Vialattea and Bardonecchia areas [1].
The snowmaking network
The first snow production at the Colle mainly serves operators as a test of the new cannons installed in the preceding months, in addition to the latest-generation ones already placed in the two previous summers [1]. The new equipment has been installed both at Sestriere and on the slopes of Sauze d'Oulx, Cesana-Sansicario, Claviere and Bardonecchia [1]. According to forecasts, temperatures were expected to rise slightly again in the following days, with minimums at 2000 metres not expected to fall below zero at least until the last weekend of October, a condition limiting significant artificial snow production during that period [1].
Related articles: Sestriere
Sources
- Freddo, a Sestriere in azione i cannoni: il 5 dicembre via alla stagione dello sci — La Stampa, 24 October 2026