Ruka snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at North Ostrobothnia, Finland · 291m to 492m

Over the last 10 seasons Ruka, Finland has averaged 164cm of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 78cm, 0 powder days and 1 bluebird day a year, with skiable cover from around 3 December to 12 May.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Ruka

164 cm
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
78 cm
Peak depth
typical season high
0
Powder days
15cm+ in a day
1
Bluebird days
sun after snow
15
Rain days
1mm+ of rain
155
Skiable days
30cm+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Ruka, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan27 cm52 cm2mm0.5 h-8° / -13°0.00.00.3
Feb21 cm64 cm1mm2.2 h-8° / -13°0.00.10.3
Mar24 cm66 cm3mm5.6 h-3° / -9°0.00.00.8
Apr24 cm58 cm5mm9.1 h2° / -5°0.00.31.5
May11 cm26 cm34mm10.8 h9° / 0°0.00.17.6
Jun1 cm1 cm85mm13.2 h16° / 8°0.00.014.7
Jul0 cm0 cm81mm12.6 h19° / 11°0.00.013.2
Aug0 cm0 cm87mm9.9 h16° / 10°0.00.014.3
Sept0 cm0 cm77mm5.7 h11° / 6°0.00.013.1
Oct20 cm4 cm41mm2.3 h3° / 0°0.00.010.1
Nov24 cm14 cm13mm0.7 h-3° / -6°0.10.13.4
Dec32 cm35 cm3mm0.1 h-5° / -10°0.00.00.9

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
2025/26leanest124 cm75 cm01124
2024/25153 cm56 cm00119
2023/24156 cm88 cm00170
2022/23153 cm73 cm00144
2021/22166 cm76 cm02162
2020/21205 cm83 cm11172
2019/20best229 cm103 cm01203
2018/19159 cm77 cm01122
2017/18131 cm76 cm00160
2016/17166 cm69 cm00175
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 392m, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Ruka 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 below average
164 cm
Ahead of 8% of resortsMedian 294 cm

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
below average
78 cm
Ahead of 38% of resortsMedian 84 cm

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
well below average
0
Lowest of every resort we compareMedian 2

Days with 15cm or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
well below average
1
Ahead of 10% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
well below average
15
Drier than 85% of resortsMedian 32

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

Skiable days
above average
155
Ahead of 74% of resortsMedian 114

Days holding 30cm or more of settled snow.

The season at Ruka

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

SeptOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
3 December
Season ends
12 May
Days of cover
162 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
66cm average depth
Most new snow
December
32cm and 0.0 powder days
Best bluebird odds
April
0.3 bluebird days, 9.1h sun a day
Wettest month
May
7.6 rain days

Is Ruka a good place to ski or board?

very little raina long seasonsnowfall is on the light side

On 10 years of record, Ruka stands out for very little rain and a long season. The trade-off is that snowfall is on the light side.

Figures are modelled at 392m from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Ruka snow record in detail

How much snow does Ruka get?

Ruka averages 164cm of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is well below average: more snow than 8% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median season brings 294cm.

Season to season the spread is wide. The best of the last 10 winters was 2019/20 with 229cm, and the leanest was 2025/26 with 124cm — a difference of 105cm between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 124cm.

December is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 32cm and 10 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Ruka?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Ruka the snowpack peaks at an average of 78cm each season. That is below average, deeper than 38% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 84cm.

The base is deepest in March, averaging 66cm through the month and topping out around 73cm in a typical year.

How many powder days does Ruka get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 15cm of new snow, Ruka averages 0 powder days a season. That is well below average, more powder days than fewer than every other resort in the set, where the median is 2 a season.

December has the most, 0.0 on average.

How often does Ruka get bluebird days?

Ruka averages 1 bluebird day a season — days of sunshine for at least 60% of daylight after 10cm or more of fresh snow. That is well below average, more than 10% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 10.

April is the best month for it, averaging 0.3 bluebird days and 9.1 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Ruka?

At mid-mountain Ruka sees an average of 15 days a season with 1mm or more of rain rather than snow. That is well below average: 15% 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 7.6 rain days and 34mm on average.

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

Ruka typically holds at least 30cm of settled snow from around 3 December through to 12 May, which works out at roughly 162 days of skiable cover in an average year. 155 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 March; for the most new snow, December; for fresh snow with sunshine, April.

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 Ruka are taken at 392m. Corpus last rebuilt 2 September 2026.

Ruka 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.

Ruka in November

Too early

In November cover at mid-mountain is usually too thin to rely on, averaging 14cm through the month. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 24cm of new snow on average, 7 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are -3°C and lows -6°C, with 0.7 hours of sunshine a day. Expect the odd wet day — 3.4 on average at mid-mountain.

Ruka in December

Base building

December is when the base starts to build, averaging 35cm and deepening towards its March peak. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 32cm of new snow on average, 10 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are -5°C and lows -10°C, with 0.1 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is rare: under two days in a typical December.

Ruka in January

Base building

Through January the base keeps building, to an average of 52cm. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 27cm of new snow on average, 9 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are -8°C and lows -13°C, with 0.5 hours of sunshine a day.

Ruka in February

Best all round

By February the base is close to its March peak, averaging 64cm. It brings 21cm of new snow in an average year, with 7 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are -8°C and lows -13°C, with 2.2 hours of sunshine a day. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Ruka.

Ruka in March

Deepest base

March is when the base at Ruka is at its deepest, averaging 66cm through the month and peaking around 73cm in a typical year. It brings 24cm of new snow in an average year, with 8 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are -3°C and lows -9°C, with 5.6 hours of sunshine a day.

Ruka in April

Still deep

April still has a deep base, averaging 58cm — only a little down on the March peak. It brings 24cm of new snow in an average year, with 6 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 2°C and lows -5°C, with 9.1 hours of sunshine a day. Expect the odd wet day — 1.5 on average at mid-mountain.

More on Ruka

Ski resorts near Ruka

Distances are straight-line, not by road.