Spring skiing in the Krkonoše: when the season ends, spring snow, clothing and ski care

Skiing in March and April is different from January. The snow freezes overnight and softens in the sun during the day, and how much of it is left on the slopes decides how long the ski areas stay open. So nobody knows in advance when the season will end. Below you will find how it went in recent years and practical tips for spring skiing. We checked the details in September 2026 with the resort, in reports by the Czech News Agency (ČTK) and on the ski areas' websites.

When does the season end in Špindlerův Mlýn?

The end of the season varies from year to year and depends mainly on snow. According to ČTK and the resort, skiing at Skiareál Špindlerův Mlýn continued this long in the last three winters:

• winter 2023/24: until Easter Monday, 1 April 2024, when Špindlerův Mlýn was the only place in the Czech Krkonoše still open,
• winter 2024/25: until Sunday 6 April 2025, with only Svatý Petr open on the last weekend,
• winter 2025/26: until Easter Monday, 6 April 2026, with Svatý Petr and Hromovka open in the last days and only the Pláň chairlift on the Monday.

Smaller ski areas can close earlier. In winter 2025/26, the Bubákov ski area in Vrchlabí announced Sunday 15 March 2026 as its last day of skiing, and the Vejsplachy cross-country trails in Vrchlabí closed on 21 March. In Špindlerův Mlýn, the Medvědín lift ended ski operations on 22 March so that the resort's technicians could move to building the new lift sooner. After Easter 2026, according to ČTK, only Harrachov was due to keep running in the Czech Krkonoše.

Fewer ski buses run in spring, too. In winter 2025/26, only lines 1 and 4 ran in Špindlerův Mlýn from 16 March, and the ski buses stopped on 29 March. According to the resort's spokesperson, skier interest in March 2025 was much lower than from December to February, and at the end of the 2025/26 season the resort ran at spring prices.

Firn: hard in the morning, slush in the afternoon

Firn, the term used in Czech and German for spring snow, is old snow that has turned granular through repeated melting and refreezing, according to the Czech meteorological dictionary; in English it is often called corn snow. In spring its surface changes within a single day: after a frosty night it is hard and frozen in the morning, it softens as the sun warms it, and in the afternoon it turns into heavy, wet slush. The people who groom the Vejsplachy trails summed it up in March 2026: fast frozen firn in the morning, slow slush in the afternoon.

• Set off early and ski mainly in the morning; by the afternoon the snow is often heavy.
• Expect a hard, sometimes icy surface in the morning, where sharp edges help.
• Sunny slopes soften sooner than shaded ones, so you can switch between them during the day.
• Heavy wet snow slows you down and is hard work, so ease off in the afternoon and take more breaks.

What to wear for spring skiing

In spring the temperature changes a lot during the day. There can be frost in the morning and warmth at midday; over Easter 2024, temperatures in Špindlerův Mlýn were around 15 degrees Celsius, according to ČTK. Layers that you take off and put back on during the day work well:

• a thin base layer and a light jumper or fleece instead of a thick winter layer,
• a waterproof jacket and trousers, because wet snow soaks through more than dry snow,
• a second pair of gloves in your backpack, as the first often gets wet in spring snow,
• keep your helmet on, even when it is warm.

Sun on snow: sunscreen and eyewear

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), UV radiation increases by about 10 per cent with every 1,000 metres of altitude, and fresh snow almost doubles your exposure because it reflects the radiation. Thin cloud offers little protection. According to the WHO, cases of snow blindness, damage to the cornea caused by UV radiation, keep occurring among skiers. The WHO recommends:

• sunscreen with UVA and UVB protection and a sun protection factor of at least 30, applied 20 to 30 minutes before going outside and reapplied every two hours,
• not forgetting your ears, nose, forehead and neck, and using a lip balm with a UV filter,
• sunglasses or ski goggles with UV400 protection, preferably wraparound.

Ski care for spring snow

Wet spring snow slows skis down. According to the wax maker Toko, a film of water forms between the base and the snow, increasing friction and creating a suction effect, so the skis feel as if they are sticking to the snow. A wax for warmer snow helps, and the base needs to be clean and dry for it. On hard morning snow, on the other hand, sharp edges help.

If you ski on your own skis, have them serviced before spring skiing. In our shop in Vrchlabí, Mr Honců does the servicing himself: sharpening the edges by hand to the angle you choose, cleaning the base, waxing, polishing and adjusting the bindings. Skis you bring in the afternoon are usually ready the next morning. We check, sharpen and wax every piece of rental equipment after it comes back.

Ski servicing in Vrchlabí

Spring skiing with equipment from Vrchlabí

On our website we give the season as December to March, and the current opening hours are on the contact page. If you plan to ski in March, book your equipment online at least a day in advance. We choose the ski length by height, weight and experience and adjust the bindings to your weight.

Book equipment online