Donovaly snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Banská Bystrica, Slovakia · 960m to 1,800m

Over the last 10 seasons Donovaly, Slovakia has averaged 186cm of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 48cm, 1 powder day and 3 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around 19 January to 22 February.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Donovaly

186 cm
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
48 cm
Peak depth
typical season high
1
Powder days
15cm+ in a day
3
Bluebird days
sun after snow
54
Rain days
1mm+ of rain
43
Skiable days
30cm+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Donovaly, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan45 cm28 cm18mm3.5 h-4° / -9°0.10.43.9
Feb34 cm31 cm33mm4.8 h-2° / -8°0.10.45.5
Mar21 cm14 cm33mm7.5 h3° / -5°0.00.36.9
Apr12 cm2 cm53mm9.1 h7° / -2°0.00.19.5
May2 cm0 cm113mm10.3 h11° / 3°0.00.116.3
Jun0 cm0 cm114mm12.3 h17° / 8°0.00.015.6
Jul0 cm0 cm106mm12.3 h18° / 9°0.00.016.3
Aug0 cm0 cm107mm11.4 h19° / 10°0.00.013.9
Sept0 cm0 cm100mm8.7 h13° / 6°0.00.011.7
Oct8 cm0 cm80mm6.2 h7° / 1°0.20.011.5
Nov24 cm3 cm59mm4.2 h2° / -4°0.20.58.5
Dec48 cm18 cm18mm2.8 h-2° / -8°0.20.73.8

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
2025/26138 cm29 cm120
2024/25leanest93 cm23 cm000
2023/24194 cm71 cm1070
2022/23208 cm59 cm1437
2021/22209 cm60 cm0371
2020/21188 cm46 cm1133
2019/20167 cm18 cm110
2018/19228 cm74 cm0488
2017/18best264 cm52 cm1677
2016/17170 cm47 cm0451
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 1380m, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Donovaly compares

Measured against 40 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
below average
186 cm
Ahead of 25% of resortsMedian 283 cm

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
well below average
48 cm
Ahead of 10% of resortsMedian 84 cm

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
below average
1
Ahead of 35% of resortsMedian 2

Days with 15cm or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
below average
3
Ahead of 25% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
well above average
54
Drier than 17% of resortsMedian 32

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

Skiable days
well below average
43
Ahead of 23% of resortsMedian 115

Days holding 30cm or more of settled snow.

The season at Donovaly

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

SeptOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
19 January
Season ends
22 February
Days of cover
35 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
February
31cm average depth
Most new snow
December
48cm and 0.2 powder days
Best bluebird odds
December
0.7 bluebird days, 2.8h sun a day
Wettest month
May
16.3 rain days

Is Donovaly a good place to ski or board?

snowfall is on the light sidethe base does not get especially deepit sees more rain than mostthe season is shorter than average

On 10 years of record, Donovaly is a mixed picture: snowfall is on the light side, the base does not get especially deep, it sees more rain than most and the season is shorter than average. It can still ski well in a good year — 2017/18 produced 264cm — but the averages argue for flexibility on timing.

Figures are modelled at 1380m from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Donovaly snow record in detail

How much snow does Donovaly get?

Donovaly averages 186cm of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is below average: more snow than 25% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median season brings 283cm.

Season to season the spread is wide. The best of the last 10 winters was 2017/18 with 264cm, and the leanest was 2024/25 with 93cm — a difference of 171cm between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 138cm.

December is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 48cm and 11 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Donovaly?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Donovaly the snowpack peaks at an average of 48cm each season. That is well below average, deeper than 10% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 84cm.

The base is deepest in February, averaging 31cm through the month and topping out around 43cm in a typical year.

How many powder days does Donovaly get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 15cm of new snow, Donovaly averages 1 powder day a season. That is below average, more powder days than 35% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median is 2 a season.

December has the most, 0.2 on average.

How often does Donovaly get bluebird days?

Donovaly averages 3 bluebird days a season — days of sunshine for at least 60% of daylight after 10cm or more of fresh snow. That is below average, more than 25% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 10.

December is the best month for it, averaging 0.7 bluebird days and 2.8 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Donovaly?

At mid-mountain Donovaly sees an average of 54 days a season with 1mm or more of rain rather than snow. That is well above average: 83% of the 40 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 16.3 rain days and 113mm on average.

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

Donovaly typically holds at least 30cm of settled snow from around 19 January through to 22 February, which works out at roughly 35 days of skiable cover in an average year. 43 of those fall inside the November to May season. On season length that is well below average compared with the 40 other resorts we have analysed the same way.

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

Comparisons use 40 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 Donovaly are taken at 1380m. Corpus last rebuilt 2 September 2026.

Donovaly 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.

Donovaly in November

Too early

In November cover at mid-mountain is usually too thin to rely on, averaging 3cm through the month. It brings 24cm of new snow in an average year, with 5 snow days and 0.2 powder days. Average highs are 2°C and lows -4°C, with 4.2 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is a real risk: 8.5 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average November.

Donovaly in December

Early and thin

December is the start of the season at Donovaly: the base averages 18cm, which is skiable in a good year but patchy in a poor one. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 48cm of new snow on average, 11 snow days and 0.2 powder days. Average highs are -2°C and lows -8°C, with 2.8 hours of sunshine a day. Expect the odd wet day — 3.8 on average at mid-mountain.

Donovaly in January

Early and thin

January is the start of the season at Donovaly: the base averages 28cm, which is skiable in a good year but patchy in a poor one. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 45cm of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are -4°C and lows -9°C, with 3.5 hours of sunshine a day. Expect the odd wet day — 3.9 on average at mid-mountain.

Donovaly in February

Deepest base

February is when the base at Donovaly is at its deepest, averaging 31cm through the month and peaking around 43cm in a typical year. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 34cm of new snow on average, 8 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are -2°C and lows -8°C, with 4.8 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is a real risk: 5.5 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average February.

Donovaly in March

Season over

By March the snow at mid-mountain has usually gone, with an average depth of just 14cm. It brings 21cm of new snow in an average year, with 5 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 3°C and lows -5°C, with 7.5 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is a real risk: 6.9 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average March.

Donovaly in April

Season over

By April the snow at mid-mountain has usually gone, with an average depth of just 2cm. It brings 12cm of new snow in an average year, with 3 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 7°C and lows -2°C, with 9.1 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is a real risk: 9.5 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average April.

How Donovaly compares with nearby resorts

Of Donovaly and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Donovaly ranks 4 of 5 for snowfall, with 186cm a season. Štrbské Pleso, Kasprowy Wierch and Zakopane get more; Jasná gets less.

Kasprowy Wierch has the most powder days (3 a season, against 1 here); Kasprowy Wierch builds the deepest base (78cm against 48cm); and Kasprowy Wierch gets the most bluebird days (11 a season).

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 Donovaly and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Donovaly—1380m186cm48cm13
Jasná29 km1487m158cm60cm02
Štrbské Pleso67 km1690m335cm75cm29
Kasprowy Wierch, Poland68 km1987m364cm78cm311
Zakopane, Poland71 km1413m343cm73cm29

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

More on Donovaly

Ski resorts near Donovaly

Distances are straight-line, not by road.