Melchsee-Frutt snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Obwalden, Switzerland · 1,920m to 2,460m

Over the last 10 seasons Melchsee-Frutt, Switzerland has averaged 640cm of snowfall, 9 powder days and 28 bluebird days a year, on terrain high enough that the modelled snow never melts out.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Melchsee-Frutt

Glaciated terrain. At 2190m the modelled snow never melts out, staying above 642cm even in August. Depth figures here describe accumulated glacier firn rather than a seasonal base, so they are not comparable with resorts that clear each summer and we do not rank them. Snowfall, powder days and bluebird days are unaffected.
640 cm
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
Year-round
Snow cover
never melts out here
9
Powder days
15cm+ in a day
28
Bluebird days
sun after snow
27
Rain days
1mm+ of rain
All season
Skiable days
30cm+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Melchsee-Frutt, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan117 cm675 cm5mm5.8 h-5° / -12°2.14.61.1
Feb83 cm707 cm4mm7.0 h-2° / -10°0.84.80.7
Mar107 cm723 cm4mm7.9 h-1° / -8°1.75.01.1
Apr78 cm716 cm16mm9.8 h2° / -6°1.43.04.1
May55 cm664 cm73mm10.1 h6° / -2°0.43.213.9
Jun3 cm592 cm127mm11.8 h13° / 3°0.00.017.1
Jul1 cm578 cm166mm11.9 h14° / 5°0.00.020.0
Aug4 cm578 cm158mm10.8 h14° / 4°0.00.116.9
Sept22 cm586 cm95mm9.3 h11° / 1°0.11.513.6
Oct43 cm589 cm98mm7.6 h6° / -2°0.91.610.8
Nov89 cm608 cm18mm5.7 h0° / -8°1.13.23.6
Dec110 cm653 cm12mm5.2 h-3° / -10°1.84.22.2

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
2025/26leanest445 cm309 cm714201
2024/25507 cm767 cm724212
2023/24best943 cm863 cm1534213
2022/23555 cm776 cm528212
2021/22562 cm777 cm1123212
2020/21650 cm799 cm829212
2019/20585 cm824 cm728213
2018/19802 cm847 cm1536212
2017/18769 cm850 cm931212
2016/17581 cm766 cm933212
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 2190m, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Melchsee-Frutt 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
640 cm
Ahead of 95% of resortsMedian 283 cm

Total new snow between November and May.

Snow cover
never melts out
Year-round
Not ranked

Glaciated ground, so depth is not a seasonal base.

Powder days
among the very best we track
9
Ahead of 95% of resortsMedian 2

Days with 15cm or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
among the very best we track
28
Ahead of 98% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
below average
27
Drier than 62% of resortsMedian 32

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

Skiable days
snow all year
All season
Not ranked

Days holding 30cm or more of settled snow.

When to go

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

Most new snow
January
117cm and 2.1 powder days
Best bluebird odds
March
5.0 bluebird days, 7.9h sun a day
Wettest month
May
13.9 rain days

Is Melchsee-Frutt a good place to ski or board?

heavy snowfallfrequent powder daysplenty of bluebird dayssnow cover that never melts out at mid-mountain

On 10 years of record, Melchsee-Frutt stands out for heavy snowfall, frequent powder days, plenty of bluebird days and snow cover that never melts out at mid-mountain.

Figures are modelled at 2190m from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Melchsee-Frutt snow record in detail

How much snow does Melchsee-Frutt get?

Melchsee-Frutt averages 640cm 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 943cm, and the leanest was 2025/26 with 445cm — a difference of 498cm between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 445cm.

January is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 117cm and 13 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Melchsee-Frutt?

The modelled snow at this elevation never melts out: the base does not drop below 642cm at any point in the year, including August. That means Melchsee-Frutt is being measured on glaciated ground, where the reanalysis carries accumulated firn from one year into the next.

The consequence is that a peak depth figure here is not a seasonal base and cannot be compared with resorts that melt out each summer, so we do not rank it. Snow reliability at Melchsee-Frutt is not in question; the number simply is not measuring what it measures elsewhere. Use the snowfall and powder day figures below, which are unaffected.

How many powder days does Melchsee-Frutt get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 15cm of new snow, Melchsee-Frutt averages 9 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, 2.1 on average.

How often does Melchsee-Frutt get bluebird days?

Melchsee-Frutt averages 28 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 Melchsee-Frutt?

At mid-mountain Melchsee-Frutt sees an average of 27 days a season with 1mm or more of rain rather than snow. That is below average: 38% 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 13.9 rain days and 73mm on average.

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

Because the snow at this elevation never fully melts, there is no meaningful date at which cover runs out — which is exactly why Melchsee-Frutt can offer skiing outside the normal season. Timing here is about snow quality and lift opening rather than whether there is snow at all.

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 Melchsee-Frutt are taken at 2190m. Corpus last rebuilt 2 September 2026.

Melchsee-Frutt 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.

Melchsee-Frutt in November

Snow guaranteed

Melchsee-Frutt is skied on glaciated ground, so in November, as in every month, cover is never the question: the modelled snow at this height does not melt out. It brings 89cm of new snow in an average year, with 12 snow days and 1.1 powder days. Average highs are 0°C and lows -8°C, with 5.7 hours of sunshine a day and 3.2 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 3.6 on average at mid-mountain.

Melchsee-Frutt in December

Snow guaranteed

December is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 110cm of new snow on average, 14 snow days and 1.8 powder days. Average highs are -3°C and lows -10°C, with 5.2 hours of sunshine a day and 4.2 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 2.2 on average at mid-mountain.

Melchsee-Frutt in January

Best all round

January is the snowiest month of the season, with 117cm of new snow on average, 13 snow days and 2.1 powder days. Average highs are -5°C and lows -12°C, with 5.8 hours of sunshine a day and 4.6 bluebird days. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Melchsee-Frutt.

Melchsee-Frutt in February

Snow guaranteed

February brings 83cm of new snow in an average year, with 11 snow days and 0.8 powder days. Average highs are -2°C and lows -10°C, with 7 hours of sunshine a day and 4.8 bluebird days.

Melchsee-Frutt in March

Snow guaranteed

March is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 107cm of new snow on average, 14 snow days and 1.7 powder days. Average highs are -1°C and lows -8°C, with 7.9 hours of sunshine a day and 5 bluebird days, the most of any month.

Melchsee-Frutt in April

Snow guaranteed

April brings 78cm of new snow in an average year, with 9 snow days and 1.4 powder days. Average highs are 2°C and lows -6°C, with 9.8 hours of sunshine a day and 3 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 4.1 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average April.

Melchsee-Frutt in May

Snow guaranteed

May brings 55cm of new snow in an average year, with 8 snow days and 0.4 powder days. Average highs are 6°C and lows -2°C, with 10.1 hours of sunshine a day and 3.2 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 13.9 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average May.

How Melchsee-Frutt compares with nearby resorts

Of Melchsee-Frutt and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Melchsee-Frutt ranks 2 of 5 for snowfall, with 640cm a season. Engelberg gets more; Meiringen-Hasliberg, Grindelwald and Andermatt get less.

Meiringen-Hasliberg has the most powder days (11 a season, against 9 here); Andermatt builds the deepest base (235cm); 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 Melchsee-Frutt and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Melchsee-Frutt—2190m640cmGlacier928
Meiringen-Hasliberg10 km1757m612cm209cm1130
Engelberg11 km2010m674cm213cm1129
Grindelwald26 km1767m619cm195cm1030
Andermatt30 km2205m618cm235cm922

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

More on Melchsee-Frutt

Ski resorts near Melchsee-Frutt

Distances are straight-line, not by road.