Les Arcs snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Savoie, France · 1,200m to 3,226m

Over the last 10 seasons Les Arcs, France has averaged 656cm of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 234cm, 12 powder days and 25 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around 11 November to 6 June.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Les Arcs

656 cm
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
234 cm
Peak depth
typical season high
12
Powder days
15cm+ in a day
25
Bluebird days
sun after snow
25
Rain days
1mm+ of rain
196
Skiable days
30cm+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Les Arcs, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan129 cm154 cm3mm6.1 h-4° / -13°2.84.10.7
Feb82 cm178 cm4mm7.2 h-1° / -10°1.43.60.8
Mar103 cm193 cm5mm8.3 h0° / -9°1.74.51.1
Apr57 cm177 cm14mm10.3 h3° / -6°0.52.93.7
May46 cm122 cm64mm10.8 h7° / -2°0.52.013.7
Jun2 cm23 cm96mm12.8 h14° / 3°0.00.116.6
Jul0 cm0 cm80mm13.4 h16° / 5°0.00.014.8
Aug1 cm0 cm84mm11.8 h16° / 5°0.00.013.6
Sept12 cm1 cm74mm10.1 h12° / 1°0.20.211.9
Oct29 cm4 cm76mm8.0 h8° / -2°0.30.810.1
Nov98 cm41 cm22mm6.2 h1° / -9°1.83.33.1
Dec142 cm110 cm7mm5.4 h-3° / -11°3.14.21.9

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
2025/26leanest497 cm229 cm818189
2024/25534 cm195 cm1113193
2023/24784 cm263 cm1230212
2022/23617 cm191 cm922191
2021/22558 cm190 cm1121177
2020/21628 cm193 cm1026171
2019/20799 cm311 cm1828210
2018/19655 cm243 cm1032212
2017/18best957 cm313 cm2030201
2016/17532 cm207 cm926203
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 2213m, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Les Arcs 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
656 cm
Ahead of 95% of resortsMedian 283 cm

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
among the very best we track
234 cm
Ahead of 95% of resortsMedian 84 cm

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
among the very best we track
12
Ahead of 95% of resortsMedian 2

Days with 15cm or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
among the very best we track
25
Ahead of 98% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
below average
25
Drier than 67% of resortsMedian 32

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

Skiable days
among the very best we track
196
Ahead of 90% of resortsMedian 115

Days holding 30cm or more of settled snow.

The season at Les Arcs

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

SeptOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
11 November
Season ends
6 June
Days of cover
209 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
193cm average depth
Most new snow
December
142cm and 3.1 powder days
Best bluebird odds
March
4.5 bluebird days, 8.3h sun a day
Wettest month
May
13.7 rain days

Is Les Arcs a good place to ski or board?

heavy snowfalla deep, reliable basefrequent powder daysplenty of bluebird daysa long season

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

Figures are modelled at 2213m from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Les Arcs snow record in detail

How much snow does Les Arcs get?

Les Arcs averages 656cm 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 2017/18 with 957cm, and the leanest was 2025/26 with 497cm — a difference of 460cm between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 497cm.

December is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 142cm and 12 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Les Arcs?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Les Arcs the snowpack peaks at an average of 234cm each season. That is among the very best we track, deeper than 95% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 84cm.

The base is deepest in March, averaging 193cm through the month and topping out around 221cm in a typical year.

How many powder days does Les Arcs get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 15cm of new snow, Les Arcs averages 12 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.

December has the most, 3.1 on average.

How often does Les Arcs get bluebird days?

Les Arcs averages 25 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 4.5 bluebird days and 8.3 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Les Arcs?

At mid-mountain Les Arcs sees an average of 25 days a season with 1mm or more of rain rather than snow. That is below average: 33% 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 13.7 rain days and 64mm on average.

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

Les Arcs typically holds at least 30cm of settled snow from around 11 November through to 6 June, which works out at roughly 209 days of skiable cover in an average year. 196 of those fall inside the November to May season. On season length that is among the very best we track compared with the 40 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, 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 Les Arcs are taken at 2213m. Corpus last rebuilt 2 September 2026.

Les Arcs 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.

Les Arcs in November

Base building

November is when the base starts to build, averaging 41cm and deepening towards its March peak. It brings 98cm of new snow in an average year, with 12 snow days and 1.8 powder days. Average highs are 1°C and lows -9°C, with 6.2 hours of sunshine a day and 3.3 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 3.1 on average at mid-mountain.

Les Arcs in December

Base building

Through December the base keeps building, to an average of 110cm. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 142cm of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 3.1 powder days. Average highs are -3°C and lows -11°C, with 5.4 hours of sunshine a day and 4.2 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 1.9 on average at mid-mountain.

Les Arcs in January

Best all round

Through January the base keeps building, to an average of 154cm. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 129cm of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 2.8 powder days. Average highs are -4°C and lows -13°C, with 6.1 hours of sunshine a day and 4.1 bluebird days. Rain is rare: under two days in a typical January. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Les Arcs.

Les Arcs in February

Base building

By February the base is close to its March peak, averaging 178cm. It brings 82cm of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and 1.4 powder days. Average highs are -1°C and lows -10°C, with 7.2 hours of sunshine a day and 3.6 bluebird days.

Les Arcs in March

Deepest base

March is when the base at Les Arcs is at its deepest, averaging 193cm through the month and peaking around 221cm in a typical year. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 103cm of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 1.7 powder days. Average highs are 0°C and lows -9°C, with 8.3 hours of sunshine a day and 4.5 bluebird days, the most of any month.

Les Arcs in April

Still deep

April still has a deep base, averaging 177cm — only a little down on the March peak. It brings 57cm of new snow in an average year, with 8 snow days and 0.5 powder days. Average highs are 3°C and lows -6°C, with 10.3 hours of sunshine a day and 2.9 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 3.7 on average at mid-mountain.

Les Arcs in May

Late season

In May the base averages 122cm, past its March peak of 193cm and thinning. It brings 46cm of new snow in an average year, with 7 snow days and 0.5 powder days. Average highs are 7°C and lows -2°C, with 10.8 hours of sunshine a day and 2 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 13.7 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average May.

How Les Arcs compares with nearby resorts

Of Les Arcs and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Les Arcs ranks 2 of 5 for snowfall, with 656cm a season. La Thuile gets more; La Plagne, Tignes and Val d'Isère get less.

La Thuile has the most powder days (13 a season, against 12 here); Val d'Isère builds the deepest base (235cm against 234cm); and La Thuile 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 Les Arcs and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Les Arcs—2213m656cm234cm1225
La Plagne11 km2250m642cm217cm1128
Tignes17 km2503m652cm232cm1129
La Thuile, Italy20 km2041m682cm234cm1330
Val d'Isère22 km2653m652cm235cm1129

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

More on Les Arcs

Ski resorts near Les Arcs

Distances are straight-line, not by road.