Saalbach snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Salzburg, Austria · 1,003m to 2,096m

Over the last 10 seasons Saalbach, Austria has averaged 301cm of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 122cm, 2 powder days and 10 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around 6 December to 2 May.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Saalbach

301 cm
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
122 cm
Peak depth
typical season high
2
Powder days
15cm+ in a day
10
Bluebird days
sun after snow
52
Rain days
1mm+ of rain
137
Skiable days
30cm+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Saalbach, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan66 cm81 cm7mm5.5 h-1° / -10°0.52.21.8
Feb52 cm98 cm14mm6.7 h2° / -8°0.62.23.5
Mar41 cm95 cm32mm8.0 h5° / -6°0.01.36.5
Apr29 cm66 cm50mm9.3 h9° / -2°0.10.910.8
May9 cm17 cm148mm9.6 h13° / 2°0.00.319.4
Jun0 cm1 cm140mm11.7 h19° / 7°0.00.018.1
Jul0 cm0 cm182mm11.4 h19° / 8°0.00.020.3
Aug1 cm0 cm171mm10.6 h19° / 9°0.00.017.4
Sept9 cm2 cm128mm8.9 h15° / 5°0.10.114.4
Oct12 cm2 cm100mm7.2 h11° / 1°0.10.112.7
Nov44 cm13 cm37mm5.9 h4° / -5°0.21.66.2
Dec59 cm47 cm20mm4.9 h1° / -8°0.31.63.9

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
2025/26202 cm70 cm1722
2024/25leanest184 cm74 cm02127
2023/24363 cm126 cm37161
2022/23279 cm107 cm15150
2021/22305 cm135 cm211158
2020/21306 cm139 cm211162
2019/20295 cm132 cm119155
2018/19best463 cm182 cm510173
2017/18343 cm161 cm115168
2016/17266 cm92 cm11489
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 1550m, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Saalbach 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
301 cm
Ahead of 55% of resortsMedian 283 cm

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
well above average
122 cm
Ahead of 83% 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
10
Ahead of 55% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
well above average
52
Drier than 22% of resortsMedian 32

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

Skiable days
above average
137
Ahead of 63% of resortsMedian 115

Days holding 30cm or more of settled snow.

The season at Saalbach

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

SeptOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
6 December
Season ends
2 May
Days of cover
149 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
98cm average depth
Most new snow
January
66cm and 0.5 powder days
Best bluebird odds
January
2.2 bluebird days, 5.5h sun a day
Wettest month
May
19.4 rain days

Is Saalbach a good place to ski or board?

a deep, reliable baseit sees more rain than most

On 10 years of record, Saalbach stands out for a deep, reliable base. The trade-off is that it sees more rain than most.

Figures are modelled at 1550m from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Saalbach snow record in detail

How much snow does Saalbach get?

Saalbach averages 301cm of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is about average: more snow than 55% 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 2018/19 with 463cm, and the leanest was 2024/25 with 184cm — a difference of 279cm between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 202cm.

January is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 66cm and 12 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Saalbach?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Saalbach the snowpack peaks at an average of 122cm each season. That is well above average, deeper than 83% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 84cm.

The base is deepest in February, averaging 98cm through the month and topping out around 112cm in a typical year.

How many powder days does Saalbach get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 15cm of new snow, Saalbach 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, 0.5 on average.

How often does Saalbach get bluebird days?

Saalbach averages 10 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 55% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 10.

January is the best month for it, averaging 2.2 bluebird days and 5.5 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Saalbach?

At mid-mountain Saalbach sees an average of 52 days a season with 1mm or more of rain rather than snow. That is well above average: 78% 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 19.4 rain days and 148mm on average.

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

Saalbach typically holds at least 30cm of settled snow from around 6 December through to 2 May, which works out at roughly 149 days of skiable cover in an average year. 137 of those fall inside the November to May season. On season length that is above 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, January.

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 Saalbach are taken at 1550m. Corpus last rebuilt 2 September 2026.

Saalbach 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.

Saalbach in November

Too early

In November cover at mid-mountain is usually too thin to rely on, averaging 13cm through the month. It brings 44cm of new snow in an average year, with 8 snow days and 0.2 powder days. Average highs are 4°C and lows -5°C, with 5.9 hours of sunshine a day and 1.6 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 6.2 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average November.

Saalbach in December

Base building

December is when the base starts to build, averaging 47cm and deepening towards its February peak. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 59cm of new snow on average, 11 snow days and 0.3 powder days. Average highs are 1°C and lows -8°C, with 4.9 hours of sunshine a day and 1.6 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 3.9 on average at mid-mountain.

Saalbach in January

Best all round

By January the base is close to its February peak, averaging 81cm. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 66cm of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 0.5 powder days. Average highs are -1°C and lows -10°C, with 5.5 hours of sunshine a day and 2.2 bluebird days, the most of any month. Expect the odd wet day — 1.8 on average at mid-mountain. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Saalbach.

Saalbach in February

Deepest base

February is when the base at Saalbach is at its deepest, averaging 98cm through the month and peaking around 112cm in a typical year. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 52cm of new snow on average, 10 snow days and 0.6 powder days. Average highs are 2°C and lows -8°C, with 6.7 hours of sunshine a day and 2.2 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 3.5 on average at mid-mountain.

Saalbach in March

Still deep

March still has a deep base, averaging 95cm — only a little down on the February peak. It brings 41cm of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 5°C and lows -6°C, with 8 hours of sunshine a day and 1.3 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 6.5 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average March.

Saalbach in April

Late season

In April the base averages 66cm, past its February peak of 98cm and thinning. It brings 29cm of new snow in an average year, with 6 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are 9°C and lows -2°C, with 9.3 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is a real risk: 10.8 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average April.

How Saalbach compares with nearby resorts

Of Saalbach and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Saalbach ranks last for snowfall, with 301cm a season. Every one of its neighbours gets more.

Kaprun has the most powder days (6 a season, against 2 here); Kaprun builds the deepest base (165cm against 122cm); and Kaprun gets the most bluebird days (22 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 Saalbach and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Saalbach—1550m301cm122cm210
Zell am See15 km1379m367cm120cm414
Kaprun16 km1908m519cm165cm622
Kitzbühel20 km1381m346cm111cm313
Wilder Kaiser26 km1380m343cm114cm312

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

More on Saalbach

Ski resorts near Saalbach

Distances are straight-line, not by road.