Hello! My husband and I are considering a Dolomites trip in late Sept next year. We have been before in early September with no Refugio closures. Is late September too risky in terms of things starting to shut down? Would there be a potential for snow? Thanks all!!
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
18016 posts
If you stay in a bigger town like Ortisei I don’t think they shut down anything. Late September is generally too soon for snow. Rain of course can happen anytime in the mountains.
Posted by
West Coast
469 posts
That’s about the time of year I went- end September or early October. If you’re hiking, you can check schedules of the lifts. I don’t know that the large ones close but the smaller ones were open until after the first or second week of October. The refugios were open for lunches and some were busy, some not. You should prepare for rain (or snow) but the weather was great for hiking, once the clouds cleared.
Posted by
Washington, DC USA
1018 posts
I remember that in September 2024, there was an early snowstorm in the Dolomites that resulted in at least one hypothermia death. That caused me to bring gloves and extra layers for my first week of October trip that year. It did snow some in the first week of October on some of the mountain trails but not in Ortisei. Although the visibility was not great, the trails with snow that I was on were very walkable and the scenery was lovely. Some lifts in Val Gardena close toward the end of September but many remain open through at least the first week of October. I did met people who had stayed in refugios in early October.
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
12325 posts
remember that in September 2024, there was an early snowstorm in the Dolomites
We were there in the Alpe di Siusi that year! Saw it coming and bought long underwear in Ortisei before we went up for a 4-night stay at AlpenHotel Panorama. But we have been there in October with beautiful fall days where we were in short sleeves eating lunch outdoors at midday.
Anything goes with weather but always prepare for anything in the mountains with gloves, hats, good foot wear. Luckily in Sept 2024, only one day was truly bitter and the following ones were gorgeous with snow covered meadows. Day after photos here https://girovaga.com/2024/09/16/another-path-to-lunch/.
The lifts are running end of September, to affirm the answers to your original query.