Trav's short answer
Portillo has extended its 2026 ski season by more than two weeks after an extraordinary mid-winter turnaround in snowfall.The Chilean resort says it has received over 23 feet of accumulated snow and will now keep the season going through 12 October. The extension is particularly striking because Portillo had to postpone its planned opening in June when early-season snow was lacking.
What happened?
Portillo is staying open until 12 October after a huge snow season
According to POWDER, the resort had originally planned to close on 26 September. That means the new schedule adds more than two weeks of extra skiing deep into the Southern Hemisphere spring.
The remarkable part: Portillo's 2026 winter did not begin as a blockbuster season. The resort postponed its official opening in June because there was not enough natural snow, before a run of major storms completely changed the picture.
The numbers behind Portillo's extension
Ski Portillo announcements and current reporting
How did the season turn around?
Portillo went from postponing opening day to extending closing day
The story is more interesting than a simple big-snow headline because the season started in the opposite direction. On 18 June, Portillo announced that its official opening would be postponed because snow conditions were not yet sufficient. A limited opening followed for hotel guests before the weather pattern changed dramatically.
By 20 July, Portillo was reporting roughly 4.5 metres of accumulated snowfall. Three days later, an official update said more than 5 metres — over 16 feet — had fallen, with further snow still expected. The resort's later season-extension announcement says the accumulated total has now moved beyond 23 feet.
Not enough snow
June's opening was postponed, showing how quickly a ski season can begin under pressure even at one of South America's best-known snow destinations.
Storms transformed the mountain
Repeated July storms rapidly built the snowpack, turning a delayed opening into enough coverage for an October extension.
Snowfall totals can be reported differently depending on the measurement point, timing and whether a figure refers to cumulative snowfall or settled snow depth. The 23+ foot figure is the accumulated-season total used by Portillo in announcing the extension, not the current depth on every piste.
Why October matters
The extension pushes Portillo well into the Southern Hemisphere spring
Chile's main ski season normally runs through the Southern Hemisphere winter, with Portillo describing late June to early October as the broad seasonal window. Skiing through 12 October therefore gives travellers a relatively late opportunity to get on snow before Northern Hemisphere resorts begin opening for 2026/27.
POWDER also reports that Portillo is offering a 20% accommodation discount for stays from 30 September to 12 October. Anyone considering the late-season window should still check the resort directly before booking, because spring operations remain dependent on weather, snow preservation and lift status.
A tale of two hemispheres
The contrast with Europe's summer ski closures could hardly be sharper
At almost the same moment that Portillo is extending its winter because of deep snow, Alpine glacier ski areas have been suspending summer skiing as extreme heat and poor overnight refreezing damage conditions.
It is an eye-catching snapshot of the global ski calendar in August 2026: Europe is struggling to maintain lift-served glacier skiing through the hottest part of summer, while Portillo is in the middle of its winter and has enough snow to plan extra spring skiing in October.
The comparison needs one important caveat. These are different hemispheres, seasons, elevations and weather patterns, so one snowy Chilean winter does not cancel out the long-term pressure facing Alpine glaciers. What it does show is how dramatically ski conditions can differ around the world at the same point on the calendar — and why Southern Hemisphere destinations can be especially appealing to skiers looking for snow during the European summer.
Read our full report: Is Summer Skiing in Europe Disappearing? →
What does this mean for skiers?
October now offers an unusually late chance to ski Portillo in 2026
For European skiers, the most appealing part of the announcement may be timing. A Portillo trip in late September or early October can bridge the gap between the end of the Southern Hemisphere winter and the first meaningful openings in the Alps and North America.
Portillo sits high in the Chilean Andes near the Argentine border and is known for its distinctive all-inclusive hotel model, dramatic Laguna del Inca setting and steep expert terrain. It is a very different trip from a standard European package ski holiday, but a season like 2026 is exactly why serious skiers keep South America on their radar.
Trav's final summary
Portillo's 2026 season has gone from worrying to remarkable
A winter that began with an opening delay has developed into a season with more than 23 feet of accumulated snow and an extended closing date of 12 October 2026. That turnaround is impressive on its own. Put beside Europe's current summer-glacier closures, and it becomes one of the most striking ski stories of August: too much heat to ski outdoors on some Alpine glaciers, while deep winter snow keeps adding days to the season in Chile.