Engelberg snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Obwalden, Switzerland · 1,000m to 3,020m

Over the last 10 seasons Engelberg, Switzerland has averaged 674cm of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 213cm, 11 powder days and 29 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around 20 November to 26 May.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Engelberg

674 cm
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
213 cm
Peak depth
typical season high
11
Powder days
15cm+ in a day
29
Bluebird days
sun after snow
24
Rain days
1mm+ of rain
191
Skiable days
30cm+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Engelberg, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan119 cm129 cm4mm5.7 h-3° / -10°2.34.01.0
Feb83 cm152 cm3mm6.9 h-1° / -8°1.04.30.6
Mar113 cm169 cm3mm7.9 h0° / -7°2.15.00.4
Apr84 cm157 cm14mm9.9 h3° / -4°1.63.23.2
May70 cm88 cm78mm10.1 h7° / -1°0.63.914.4
Jun6 cm13 cm161mm12.0 h14° / 5°0.00.021.8
Jul1 cm0 cm217mm12.1 h15° / 7°0.00.024.3
Aug7 cm0 cm203mm10.9 h15° / 7°0.10.522.4
Sept29 cm1 cm107mm9.3 h11° / 3°0.31.514.8
Oct50 cm5 cm90mm7.6 h7° / -1°1.01.910.4
Nov91 cm33 cm13mm5.8 h1° / -6°1.33.92.9
Dec114 cm89 cm8mm5.3 h-1° / -8°1.94.31.9

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
2025/26leanest481 cm285 cm717193
2024/25516 cm180 cm623186
2023/24best1020 cm257 cm1634209
2022/23633 cm166 cm929188
2021/22568 cm176 cm1025175
2020/21706 cm203 cm1029178
2019/20572 cm216 cm725188
2018/19815 cm241 cm1736191
2017/18787 cm256 cm1427200
2016/17645 cm153 cm1241199
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 2010m, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Engelberg 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
among the very best we track
674 cm
Ahead of 95% of resortsMedian 283 cm

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
among the very best we track
213 cm
Ahead of 93% of resortsMedian 84 cm

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
among the very best we track
11
Ahead of 95% of resortsMedian 2

Days with 15cm or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
among the very best we track
29
Ahead of 98% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
below average
24
Drier than 72% of resortsMedian 32

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

Skiable days
well above average
191
Ahead of 88% of resortsMedian 115

Days holding 30cm or more of settled snow.

The season at Engelberg

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

SeptOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
20 November
Season ends
26 May
Days of cover
189 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
169cm average depth
Most new snow
January
119cm and 2.3 powder days
Best bluebird odds
March
5.0 bluebird days, 7.9h sun a day
Wettest month
May
14.4 rain days

Is Engelberg 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, Engelberg 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 2010m from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Engelberg snow record in detail

How much snow does Engelberg get?

Engelberg averages 674cm 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 95% 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 2023/24 with 1020cm, and the leanest was 2025/26 with 481cm — a difference of 539cm between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 481cm.

January is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 119cm and 14 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Engelberg?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Engelberg the snowpack peaks at an average of 213cm each season. That is among the very best we track, deeper than 93% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 84cm.

The base is deepest in March, averaging 169cm through the month and topping out around 203cm in a typical year.

How many powder days does Engelberg get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 15cm of new snow, Engelberg averages 11 powder days a season. That is among the very best we track, more powder days than 95% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median is 2 a season.

January has the most, 2.3 on average.

How often does Engelberg get bluebird days?

Engelberg averages 29 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 98% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 10.

March is the best month for it, averaging 5.0 bluebird days and 7.9 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Engelberg?

At mid-mountain Engelberg sees an average of 24 days a season with 1mm or more of rain rather than snow. That is below average: 28% 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 14.4 rain days and 78mm on average.

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

Engelberg typically holds at least 30cm of settled snow from around 20 November through to 26 May, which works out at roughly 189 days of skiable cover in an average year. 191 of those fall inside the November to May season. On season length that is well above average compared with the 40 other resorts we have analysed the same way.

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

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 Engelberg are taken at 2010m. Corpus last rebuilt 2 September 2026.

Engelberg 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.

Engelberg in November

Base building

November is when the base starts to build, averaging 33cm and deepening towards its March peak. It brings 91cm of new snow in an average year, with 13 snow days and 1.3 powder days. Average highs are 1°C and lows -6°C, with 5.8 hours of sunshine a day and 3.9 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 2.9 on average at mid-mountain.

Engelberg in December

Base building

Through December the base keeps building, to an average of 89cm. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 114cm of new snow on average, 14 snow days and 1.9 powder days. Average highs are -1°C and lows -8°C, with 5.3 hours of sunshine a day and 4.3 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 1.9 on average at mid-mountain.

Engelberg in January

Base building

Through January the base keeps building, to an average of 129cm. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 119cm of new snow on average, 14 snow days and 2.3 powder days. Average highs are -3°C and lows -10°C, with 5.7 hours of sunshine a day and 4 bluebird days. Rain is rare: under two days in a typical January.

Engelberg in February

Base building

By February the base is close to its March peak, averaging 152cm. It brings 83cm of new snow in an average year, with 11 snow days and 1 powder days. Average highs are -1°C and lows -8°C, with 6.9 hours of sunshine a day and 4.3 bluebird days.

Engelberg in March

Best all round

March is when the base at Engelberg is at its deepest, averaging 169cm through the month and peaking around 203cm in a typical year. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 113cm of new snow on average, 14 snow days and 2.1 powder days. Average highs are 0°C and lows -7°C, with 7.9 hours of sunshine a day and 5 bluebird days, the most of any month. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Engelberg.

Engelberg in April

Still deep

April still has a deep base, averaging 157cm — only a little down on the March peak. It brings 84cm of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and 1.6 powder days. Average highs are 3°C and lows -4°C, with 9.9 hours of sunshine a day and 3.2 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 3.2 on average at mid-mountain.

Engelberg in May

Late season

In May the base averages 88cm, past its March peak of 169cm and thinning. It brings 70cm of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and 0.6 powder days. Average highs are 7°C and lows -1°C, with 10.1 hours of sunshine a day and 3.9 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 14.4 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average May.

How Engelberg compares with nearby resorts

Of Engelberg and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Engelberg ranks first for snowfall, with 674cm a season. Every one of its neighbours gets less.

Engelberg has the most powder days of the group (11 a season); Andermatt builds the deepest base (235cm against 213cm); and Meiringen-Hasliberg gets the most bluebird days (30 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 Engelberg and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Engelberg—2010m674cm213cm1129
Melchsee-Frutt11 km2190m640cmGlacier928
Meiringen-Hasliberg20 km1757m612cm209cm1130
Andermatt25 km2205m618cm235cm922
Stoos32 km1618m490cm132cm719

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

More on Engelberg

Ski resorts near Engelberg

Distances are straight-line, not by road.