Chamonix snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Haute-Savoie, France · 1,035m to 3,842m

Over the last 10 seasons Chamonix, France has averaged 717cm of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 284cm, 14 powder days and 33 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around 11 November to 11 June.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Chamonix

717 cm
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
284 cm
Peak depth
typical season high
14
Powder days
15cm+ in a day
33
Bluebird days
sun after snow
14
Rain days
1mm+ of rain
200
Skiable days
30cm+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Chamonix, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan134 cm183 cm2mm6.3 h-5° / -12°3.05.80.4
Feb94 cm208 cm2mm7.5 h-3° / -11°1.84.50.5
Mar106 cm228 cm2mm8.7 h-2° / -9°1.64.90.5
Apr66 cm216 cm6mm10.6 h1° / -7°0.84.41.3
May65 cm164 cm37mm11.2 h4° / -3°0.83.77.6
Jun6 cm39 cm84mm12.9 h11° / 3°0.00.116.5
Jul1 cm0 cm80mm13.4 h13° / 5°0.00.014.3
Aug4 cm0 cm88mm12.0 h14° / 5°0.10.114.2
Sept18 cm1 cm72mm10.0 h9° / 1°0.30.410.7
Oct43 cm7 cm74mm8.0 h5° / -2°0.91.79.5
Nov104 cm50 cm19mm6.3 h-1° / -9°2.25.02.7
Dec150 cm129 cm5mm5.7 h-4° / -10°3.75.01.0

Averages across the last 10 seasons. Powder, bluebird and rain columns are the average number of such days per month.

Season by season

SeasonSnowfallPeak depthPowder daysBluebird daysSkiable days
2025/26601 cm307 cm1031212
2024/25607 cm284 cm1326193
2023/24892 cm291 cm1844212
2022/23686 cm243 cm936192
2021/22593 cm232 cm1031187
2020/21733 cm248 cm1234178
2019/20823 cm345 cm2333209
2018/19734 cm297 cm1439208
2017/18best986 cm358 cm2235202
2016/17leanest520 cm232 cm824204
How these numbers are calculated
  • Powder day — at least 15cm of new snow in 24 hours.
  • Bluebird day — sunshine for at least 60% of daylight, following at least 10cm of snow over the previous 3 days.
  • Rain day — at least 1mm of rain (not snow) at this elevation.
  • Skiable day — at least 30cm of settled snow on the ground.
  • Snow depth is modelled from Open-Meteo / ERA5 reanalysis at 2439m, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Chamonix compares

Measured against 39 other resorts across 18 countries, each analysed exactly the same way. The line down the middle of each bar is the median.

Snowfall per season
among the very best we track
717 cm
Ahead of 97% of resortsMedian 272 cm

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
among the very best we track
284 cm
Ahead of 97% of resortsMedian 83 cm

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
among the very best we track
14
Top of every resort we compareMedian 2

Days with 15cm or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
among the very best we track
33
Top of every resort we compareMedian 9

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
well below average
14
Drier than 90% of resortsMedian 32

Days with 1mm or more of rain, not snow.

Skiable days
among the very best we track
200
Ahead of 95% of resortsMedian 114

Days holding 30cm or more of settled snow.

The season at Chamonix

Typical stretch holding 30cm or more of settled snow, averaged over the record.

SeptOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
11 November
Season ends
11 June
Days of cover
214 days

When to go

These rarely land in the same month, so it is worth deciding which one matters most before you book.

Deepest base
March
228cm average depth
Most new snow
December
150cm and 3.7 powder days
Best bluebird odds
January
5.8 bluebird days, 6.3h sun a day
Wettest month
May
7.6 rain days

Is Chamonix a good place to ski or board?

heavy snowfalla deep, reliable basefrequent powder daysplenty of bluebird daysvery little raina long season

On 10 years of record, Chamonix stands out for heavy snowfall, a deep, reliable base, frequent powder days, plenty of bluebird days, very little rain and a long season.

Figures are modelled at 2439m from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Chamonix snow record in detail

How much snow does Chamonix get?

Chamonix averages 717cm of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is among the very best we track: more snow than 97% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median season brings 272cm.

Season to season the spread is wide. The best of the last 10 winters was 2017/18 with 986cm, and the leanest was 2016/17 with 520cm — a difference of 466cm between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 601cm.

December is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 150cm and 13 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Chamonix?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Chamonix the snowpack peaks at an average of 284cm each season. That is among the very best we track, deeper than 97% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 83cm.

The base is deepest in March, averaging 228cm through the month and topping out around 263cm in a typical year.

How many powder days does Chamonix get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 15cm of new snow, Chamonix averages 14 powder days a season. That is among the very best we track, more powder days than more than any other resort in the set, where the median is 2 a season.

December has the most, 3.7 on average.

How often does Chamonix get bluebird days?

Chamonix averages 33 bluebird days a season — days of sunshine for at least 60% of daylight after 10cm or more of fresh snow. That is among the very best we track, more than more than any other resort in the set, against a median of 9.

January is the best month for it, averaging 5.8 bluebird days and 6.3 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Chamonix?

At mid-mountain Chamonix sees an average of 14 days a season with 1mm or more of rain rather than snow. That is well below average: 10% of the 39 other resorts we have analysed the same way see fewer wet days, against a median of 32.

May is the wettest month of the season, with 7.6 rain days and 37mm on average.

When is the best time to ski or board Chamonix, and when does the season end?

Chamonix typically holds at least 30cm of settled snow from around 11 November through to 11 June, which works out at roughly 214 days of skiable cover in an average year. 200 of those fall inside the November to May season. On season length that is among the very best we track compared with the 39 other resorts we have analysed the same way.

For the deepest base, go in March; for the most new snow, December; for fresh snow with sunshine, January.

Comparisons use 39 resorts across 18 countries, each measured over 5 recent seasons at mid-mountain height. Glaciated locations, where the model never melts the snow out, are excluded. Figures for Chamonix are taken at 2439m. Corpus last rebuilt 2 September 2026.

Chamonix month by month

What to expect in each month of the season, from the same ten-year record. Figures are averages for mid-mountain; a good or poor winter can move them a long way.

Chamonix in November

Base building

November is when the base starts to build, averaging 50cm and deepening towards its March peak. It brings 104cm of new snow in an average year, with 13 snow days and 2.2 powder days. Average highs are -1°C and lows -9°C, with 6.3 hours of sunshine a day and 5 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 2.7 on average at mid-mountain.

Chamonix in December

Base building

Through December the base keeps building, to an average of 129cm. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 150cm of new snow on average, 13 snow days and 3.7 powder days. Average highs are -4°C and lows -10°C, with 5.7 hours of sunshine a day and 5 bluebird days. Rain is rare: under two days in a typical December.

Chamonix in January

Best all round

Through January the base keeps building, to an average of 183cm. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 134cm of new snow on average, 13 snow days and 3 powder days. Average highs are -5°C and lows -12°C, with 6.3 hours of sunshine a day and 5.8 bluebird days, the most of any month. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Chamonix.

Chamonix in February

Base building

By February the base is close to its March peak, averaging 208cm. It brings 94cm of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and 1.8 powder days. Average highs are -3°C and lows -11°C, with 7.5 hours of sunshine a day and 4.5 bluebird days.

Chamonix in March

Deepest base

March is when the base at Chamonix is at its deepest, averaging 228cm through the month and peaking around 263cm in a typical year. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 106cm of new snow on average, 13 snow days and 1.6 powder days. Average highs are -2°C and lows -9°C, with 8.7 hours of sunshine a day and 4.9 bluebird days.

Chamonix in April

Still deep

April still has a deep base, averaging 216cm — only a little down on the March peak. It brings 66cm of new snow in an average year, with 9 snow days and 0.8 powder days. Average highs are 1°C and lows -7°C, with 10.6 hours of sunshine a day and 4.4 bluebird days.

Chamonix in May

Late season

In May the base averages 164cm, past its March peak of 228cm and thinning. It brings 65cm of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and 0.8 powder days. Average highs are 4°C and lows -3°C, with 11.2 hours of sunshine a day and 3.7 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 7.6 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average May.

How Chamonix compares with nearby resorts

Of Chamonix and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Chamonix ranks first for snowfall, with 717cm a season. Every one of its neighbours gets less.

Chamonix has the most powder days of the group (14 a season); Chamonix builds the deepest base (284cm at its peak); and Chamonix also gets the most bluebird days.

Each resort is measured at its own mid-mountain height, so part of any difference is altitude: a resort modelled 500m higher will usually hold more snow. The table shows the height each figure comes from.

Ten-year snow averages for Chamonix and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Chamonix—2439m717cm284cm1433
Flaine16 km2050m643cm270cm1131
Courmayeur, Italy17 km1990m682cm253cm1330
La Thuile, Italy24 km2041m682cm234cm1330
Avoriaz30 km2133m528cm165cm923

Distances are straight-line. Season averages, November to May, over the last ten winters.

More on Chamonix

Ski resorts near Chamonix

Distances are straight-line, not by road.