Oberstdorf snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Bavaria, Germany · 815m to 2,224m

Over the last 10 seasons Oberstdorf, Germany has averaged 435cm of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 132cm, 5 powder days and 17 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around 29 November to 3 May.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Oberstdorf

435 cm
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
132 cm
Peak depth
typical season high
5
Powder days
15cm+ in a day
17
Bluebird days
sun after snow
56
Rain days
1mm+ of rain
145
Skiable days
30cm+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Oberstdorf, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan98 cm84 cm17mm5.5 h0° / -10°1.62.42.5
Feb69 cm103 cm26mm6.4 h3° / -7°1.03.14.3
Mar67 cm101 cm28mm7.8 h5° / -5°0.43.56.2
Apr44 cm74 cm55mm9.7 h8° / -3°0.42.610.2
May16 cm21 cm157mm9.8 h12° / 1°0.11.119.8
Jun0 cm1 cm162mm11.6 h17° / 7°0.00.018.4
Jul0 cm0 cm167mm11.6 h18° / 8°0.00.019.2
Aug0 cm0 cm179mm10.5 h18° / 8°0.00.018.0
Sept7 cm1 cm133mm9.0 h14° / 4°0.20.315.9
Oct15 cm1 cm105mm7.3 h11° / 1°0.20.711.7
Nov61 cm15 cm40mm5.8 h5° / -5°0.61.97.1
Dec80 cm52 cm32mm4.9 h2° / -8°1.02.25.5

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
2025/26298 cm91 cm31533
2024/25leanest279 cm92 cm313143
2023/24best610 cm140 cm915172
2022/23385 cm108 cm412158
2021/22428 cm131 cm514151
2020/21471 cm151 cm321172
2019/20423 cm150 cm517159
2018/19565 cm171 cm1122174
2017/18533 cm184 cm620172
2016/17361 cm106 cm219111
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 1520m, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Oberstdorf 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
well above average
435 cm
Ahead of 85% of resortsMedian 272 cm

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
well above average
132 cm
Ahead of 85% of resortsMedian 83 cm

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
well above average
5
Ahead of 79% of resortsMedian 2

Days with 15cm or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
well above average
17
Ahead of 77% of resortsMedian 9

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
well above average
56
Drier than 15% of resortsMedian 32

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

Skiable days
above average
145
Ahead of 69% of resortsMedian 114

Days holding 30cm or more of settled snow.

The season at Oberstdorf

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

SeptOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
29 November
Season ends
3 May
Days of cover
157 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
103cm average depth
Most new snow
January
98cm and 1.6 powder days
Best bluebird odds
March
3.5 bluebird days, 7.8h sun a day
Wettest month
May
19.8 rain days

Is Oberstdorf a good place to ski or board?

heavy snowfalla deep, reliable basefrequent powder daysplenty of bluebird daysit sees more rain than most

On 10 years of record, Oberstdorf stands out for heavy snowfall, a deep, reliable base, frequent powder days and plenty of bluebird days. The trade-off is that it sees more rain than most.

Figures are modelled at 1520m from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Oberstdorf snow record in detail

How much snow does Oberstdorf get?

Oberstdorf averages 435cm of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is well above average: more snow than 85% 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 2023/24 with 610cm, and the leanest was 2024/25 with 279cm — a difference of 331cm between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 298cm.

January is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 98cm and 12 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Oberstdorf?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Oberstdorf the snowpack peaks at an average of 132cm each season. That is well above average, deeper than 85% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 83cm.

The base is deepest in February, averaging 103cm through the month and topping out around 117cm in a typical year.

How many powder days does Oberstdorf get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 15cm of new snow, Oberstdorf averages 5 powder days a season. That is well above average, more powder days than 79% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median is 2 a season.

January has the most, 1.6 on average.

How often does Oberstdorf get bluebird days?

Oberstdorf averages 17 bluebird days a season — days of sunshine for at least 60% of daylight after 10cm or more of fresh snow. That is well above average, more than 77% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 9.

March is the best month for it, averaging 3.5 bluebird days and 7.8 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Oberstdorf?

At mid-mountain Oberstdorf sees an average of 56 days a season with 1mm or more of rain rather than snow. That is well above average: 85% 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 19.8 rain days and 157mm on average.

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

Oberstdorf typically holds at least 30cm of settled snow from around 29 November through to 3 May, which works out at roughly 157 days of skiable cover in an average year. 145 of those fall inside the November to May season. On season length that is above average compared with the 39 other resorts we have analysed the same way.

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

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 Oberstdorf are taken at 1520m. Corpus last rebuilt 2 September 2026.

Oberstdorf 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.

Oberstdorf in November

Early and thin

November is the start of the season at Oberstdorf: the base averages 15cm, which is skiable in a good year but patchy in a poor one. It brings 61cm of new snow in an average year, with 9 snow days and 0.6 powder days. Average highs are 5°C and lows -5°C, with 5.8 hours of sunshine a day and 1.9 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 7.1 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average November.

Oberstdorf in December

Base building

December is when the base starts to build, averaging 52cm and deepening towards its February peak. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 80cm of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 1 powder days. Average highs are 2°C and lows -8°C, with 4.9 hours of sunshine a day and 2.2 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 5.5 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average December.

Oberstdorf in January

Best all round

By January the base is close to its February peak, averaging 84cm. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 98cm of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 1.6 powder days. Average highs are 0°C and lows -10°C, with 5.5 hours of sunshine a day and 2.4 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 2.5 on average at mid-mountain. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Oberstdorf.

Oberstdorf in February

Deepest base

February is when the base at Oberstdorf is at its deepest, averaging 103cm through the month and peaking around 117cm in a typical year. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 69cm of new snow on average, 10 snow days and 1 powder days. Average highs are 3°C and lows -7°C, with 6.4 hours of sunshine a day and 3.1 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 4.3 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average February.

Oberstdorf in March

Still deep

March still has a deep base, averaging 101cm — only a little down on the February peak. It brings 67cm of new snow in an average year, with 12 snow days and 0.4 powder days. Average highs are 5°C and lows -5°C, with 7.8 hours of sunshine a day and 3.5 bluebird days, the most of any month. Rain is a real risk: 6.2 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average March.

Oberstdorf in April

Late season

In April the base averages 74cm, past its February peak of 103cm and thinning. It brings 44cm of new snow in an average year, with 7 snow days and 0.4 powder days. Average highs are 8°C and lows -3°C, with 9.7 hours of sunshine a day and 2.6 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 10.2 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average April.

How Oberstdorf compares with nearby resorts

Of Oberstdorf and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Oberstdorf ranks 4 of 5 for snowfall, with 435cm a season. Lech, Zürs and St. Anton get more; Ischgl gets less.

Lech has the most powder days (7 a season, against 5 here); St. Anton builds the deepest base (216cm against 132cm); and Lech gets the most bluebird days (24 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 Oberstdorf and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Oberstdorf—1520m435cm132cm517
Lech, Austria27 km1947m570cm184cm724
Zürs, Austria28 km2083m570cm184cm724
St. Anton, Austria32 km2058m577cm216cm724
Ischgl, Austria44 km2125m410cm206cm417

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

More on Oberstdorf

Ski resorts near Oberstdorf

Distances are straight-line, not by road.