Rânca snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Gorj, Romania · 1,600m to 1,850m

Over the last 10 seasons Rânca, Romania has averaged 264cm of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 53cm, 2 powder days and 7 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around 24 January to 4 March.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Rânca

264 cm
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
53 cm
Peak depth
typical season high
2
Powder days
15cm+ in a day
7
Bluebird days
sun after snow
50
Rain days
1mm+ of rain
50
Skiable days
30cm+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Rânca, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan57 cm29 cm8mm5.6 h-3° / -9°0.71.42.0
Feb40 cm34 cm9mm6.6 h-2° / -8°0.22.02.1
Mar43 cm28 cm24mm7.9 h2° / -6°0.30.84.1
Apr31 cm10 cm44mm10.0 h6° / -2°0.30.79.4
May6 cm0 cm143mm10.9 h10° / 3°0.00.021.4
Jun0 cm0 cm142mm13.0 h15° / 8°0.00.020.6
Jul0 cm0 cm122mm13.5 h17° / 10°0.00.017.8
Aug0 cm0 cm97mm12.3 h18° / 10°0.00.015.1
Sept1 cm0 cm76mm10.2 h13° / 6°0.00.012.4
Oct9 cm0 cm49mm8.0 h8° / 1°0.10.58.3
Nov33 cm3 cm60mm5.3 h3° / -3°0.20.98.1
Dec54 cm17 cm19mm5.1 h-1° / -7°0.71.62.9

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
2025/26273 cm61 cm2561
2024/25202 cm31 cm264
2023/24257 cm30 cm192
2022/23300 cm48 cm4629
2021/22257 cm71 cm27107
2020/21best361 cm72 cm412115
2019/20204 cm24 cm250
2018/19297 cm90 cm47108
2017/18336 cm82 cm11576
2016/17leanest156 cm23 cm220
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 1725m, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Rânca 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
about average
264 cm
Ahead of 45% of resortsMedian 283 cm

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
well below average
53 cm
Ahead of 15% of resortsMedian 84 cm

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
about average
2
Ahead of 43% of resortsMedian 2

Days with 15cm or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
about average
7
Ahead of 40% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
above average
50
Drier than 30% of resortsMedian 32

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

Skiable days
well below average
50
Ahead of 23% of resortsMedian 115

Days holding 30cm or more of settled snow.

The season at Rânca

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

SeptOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
24 January
Season ends
4 March
Days of cover
40 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
34cm average depth
Most new snow
January
57cm and 0.7 powder days
Best bluebird odds
February
2.0 bluebird days, 6.6h sun a day
Wettest month
May
21.4 rain days

Is Rânca a good place to ski or board?

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

On 10 years of record, Rânca is a mixed picture: 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 — 2020/21 produced 361cm — but the averages argue for flexibility on timing.

Figures are modelled at 1725m from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Rânca snow record in detail

How much snow does Rânca get?

Rânca averages 264cm of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is about average: more snow than 45% 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 2020/21 with 361cm, and the leanest was 2016/17 with 156cm — a difference of 205cm between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 273cm.

January is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 57cm and 11 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Rânca?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Rânca the snowpack peaks at an average of 53cm each season. That is well below average, deeper than 15% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 84cm.

The base is deepest in February, averaging 34cm through the month and topping out around 47cm in a typical year.

How many powder days does Rânca get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 15cm of new snow, Rânca averages 2 powder days a season. That is about average, more powder days than 43% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median is 2 a season.

January has the most, 0.7 on average.

How often does Rânca get bluebird days?

Rânca averages 7 bluebird days a season — days of sunshine for at least 60% of daylight after 10cm or more of fresh snow. That is about average, more than 40% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 10.

February is the best month for it, averaging 2.0 bluebird days and 6.6 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Rânca?

At mid-mountain Rânca sees an average of 50 days a season with 1mm or more of rain rather than snow. That is above average: 70% 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 21.4 rain days and 143mm on average.

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

Rânca typically holds at least 30cm of settled snow from around 24 January through to 4 March, which works out at roughly 40 days of skiable cover in an average year. 50 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, January; for fresh snow with sunshine, February.

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 Rânca are taken at 1725m. Corpus last rebuilt 2 September 2026.

Rânca 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.

Rânca in November

Too early

In November cover at mid-mountain is usually too thin to rely on, averaging 3cm through the month. It brings 33cm of new snow in an average year, with 7 snow days and 0.2 powder days. Average highs are 3°C and lows -3°C, with 5.3 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is a real risk: 8.1 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average November.

Rânca in December

Early and thin

December is the start of the season at Rânca: the base averages 17cm, which is skiable in a good year but patchy in a poor one. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 54cm of new snow on average, 9 snow days and 0.7 powder days. Average highs are -1°C and lows -7°C, with 5.1 hours of sunshine a day and 1.6 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 2.9 on average at mid-mountain.

Rânca in January

Early and thin

January is the start of the season at Rânca: the base averages 29cm, which is skiable in a good year but patchy in a poor one. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 57cm of new snow on average, 11 snow days and 0.7 powder days. Average highs are -3°C and lows -9°C, with 5.6 hours of sunshine a day and 1.4 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 2 on average at mid-mountain.

Rânca in February

Best all round

February is when the base at Rânca is at its deepest, averaging 34cm through the month and peaking around 47cm in a typical year. It brings 40cm of new snow in an average year, with 8 snow days and 0.2 powder days. Average highs are -2°C and lows -8°C, with 6.6 hours of sunshine a day and 2 bluebird days, the most of any month. Expect the odd wet day — 2.1 on average at mid-mountain. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Rânca.

Rânca in March

Thinning out

In March the base is down to an average of 28cm, enough on the upper mountain in most years but not something to count on lower down. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 43cm of new snow on average, 10 snow days and 0.3 powder days. Average highs are 2°C and lows -6°C, with 7.9 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is a real risk: 4.1 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average March.

Rânca in April

Season over

By April the snow at mid-mountain has usually gone, with an average depth of just 10cm. It brings 31cm of new snow in an average year, with 7 snow days and 0.3 powder days. Average highs are 6°C and lows -2°C, with 10 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is a real risk: 9.4 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average April.

How Rânca compares with nearby resorts

Of Rânca and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Rânca ranks first for snowfall, with 264cm a season. Every one of its neighbours gets less.

Rânca has the most powder days of the group (2 a season); Rânca builds the deepest base (53cm at its peak); and Rânca also gets the most bluebird days.

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 Rânca and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Rânca—1725m264cm53cm27
Straja37 km1654m184cm42cm23
Păltiniș45 km1561m242cm49cm26
Semenic126 km1405m166cm39cm14
Râșnov142 km925m138cm26cm12

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

More on Rânca

Ski resorts near Rânca

Distances are straight-line, not by road.