Sälen snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Dalarna, Sweden · 425m to 750m

Over the last 10 seasons Sälen, Sweden has averaged 194cm of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 71cm, 0 powder days and 3 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around 18 December to 18 April.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Sälen

194 cm
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
71 cm
Peak depth
typical season high
0
Powder days
15cm+ in a day
3
Bluebird days
sun after snow
23
Rain days
1mm+ of rain
120
Skiable days
30cm+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Sälen, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan44 cm47 cm3mm2.3 h-4° / -9°0.10.60.8
Feb26 cm57 cm4mm3.9 h-3° / -9°0.00.31.2
Mar27 cm55 cm7mm6.9 h1° / -6°0.00.71.7
Apr21 cm35 cm8mm10.1 h6° / -3°0.00.62.2
May9 cm5 cm48mm11.8 h13° / 2°0.10.19.3
Jun1 cm0 cm86mm13.1 h18° / 8°0.00.012.8
Jul0 cm0 cm126mm12.5 h18° / 9°0.00.016.2
Aug0 cm0 cm111mm10.1 h17° / 9°0.00.013.9
Sept0 cm0 cm81mm6.7 h12° / 6°0.00.012.5
Oct11 cm1 cm65mm4.5 h6° / 1°0.00.110.8
Nov31 cm10 cm34mm2.1 h0° / -4°0.10.26.0
Dec36 cm26 cm6mm1.3 h-3° / -7°0.10.22.0

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
2025/26184 cm62 cm01100
2024/25139 cm51 cm1254
2023/24232 cm85 cm13176
2022/23best236 cm74 cm02137
2021/22leanest133 cm60 cm01103
2020/21195 cm70 cm03103
2019/20232 cm67 cm02142
2018/19191 cm81 cm14126
2017/18236 cm95 cm15137
2016/17163 cm60 cm04123
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 588m, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Sälen 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
194 cm
Ahead of 23% of resortsMedian 294 cm

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
below average
71 cm
Ahead of 33% 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
3
Ahead of 23% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
below average
23
Drier than 72% of resortsMedian 32

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

Skiable days
about average
120
Ahead of 51% of resortsMedian 116

Days holding 30cm or more of settled snow.

The season at Sälen

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

SeptOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
18 December
Season ends
18 April
Days of cover
123 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
57cm average depth
Most new snow
January
44cm and 0.1 powder days
Best bluebird odds
March
0.7 bluebird days, 6.9h sun a day
Wettest month
May
9.3 rain days

Is Sälen a good place to ski or board?

very little rainsnowfall is on the light side

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

Figures are modelled at 588m from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Sälen snow record in detail

How much snow does Sälen get?

Sälen averages 194cm of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is well below average: more snow than 23% 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 2022/23 with 236cm, and the leanest was 2021/22 with 133cm — a difference of 103cm between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 184cm.

January is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 44cm and 10 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Sälen?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Sälen the snowpack peaks at an average of 71cm each season. That is below average, deeper than 33% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 84cm.

The base is deepest in February, averaging 57cm through the month and topping out around 64cm in a typical year.

How many powder days does Sälen get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 15cm of new snow, Sälen 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.

January has the most, 0.1 on average.

How often does Sälen get bluebird days?

Sälen averages 3 bluebird days 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 23% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 10.

March is the best month for it, averaging 0.7 bluebird days and 6.9 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Sälen?

At mid-mountain Sälen sees an average of 23 days a season with 1mm or more of rain rather than snow. That is below average: 28% 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 9.3 rain days and 48mm on average.

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

Sälen typically holds at least 30cm of settled snow from around 18 December through to 18 April, which works out at roughly 123 days of skiable cover in an average year. 120 of those fall inside the November to May season. On season length that is about 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 Sälen are taken at 588m. Corpus last rebuilt 2 September 2026.

Sälen 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.

Sälen in November

Too early

In November cover at mid-mountain is usually too thin to rely on, averaging 10cm through the month. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 31cm of new snow on average, 7 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are 0°C and lows -4°C, with 2.1 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is a real risk: 6 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average November.

Sälen in December

Early and thin

December is the start of the season at Sälen: the base averages 26cm, which is skiable in a good year but patchy in a poor one. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 36cm of new snow on average, 10 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are -3°C and lows -7°C, with 1.3 hours of sunshine a day. Expect the odd wet day — 2 on average at mid-mountain.

Sälen in January

Best all round

January is when the base starts to build, averaging 47cm and deepening towards its February peak. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 44cm of new snow on average, 10 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are -4°C and lows -9°C, with 2.3 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is rare: under two days in a typical January. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Sälen.

Sälen in February

Deepest base

February is when the base at Sälen is at its deepest, averaging 57cm through the month and peaking around 64cm in a typical year. It brings 26cm of new snow in an average year, with 7 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are -3°C and lows -9°C, with 3.9 hours of sunshine a day.

Sälen in March

Still deep

March still has a deep base, averaging 55cm — only a little down on the February peak. It brings 27cm of new snow in an average year, with 5 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 1°C and lows -6°C, with 6.9 hours of sunshine a day. Expect the odd wet day — 1.7 on average at mid-mountain.

Sälen in April

Late season

In April the base averages 35cm, past its February peak of 57cm and thinning. It brings 21cm of new snow in an average year, with 4 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 6°C and lows -3°C, with 10.1 hours of sunshine a day. Expect the odd wet day — 2.2 on average at mid-mountain.

How Sälen compares with nearby resorts

Of Sälen and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Sälen ranks 2 of 5 for snowfall, with 194cm a season. Trysil gets more; Kläppen and Branäs get less.

Trysil has the most powder days (1 a season, against 0 here); Trysil builds the deepest base (86cm against 71cm); and Sälen 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 Sälen and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Sälen—588m194cm71cm03
Tandådalen0 km588m194cm71cm03
Kläppen8 km525m187cm75cm03
Trysil, Norway55 km816m195cm86cm13
Branäs59 km550m113cm42cm01

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

More on Sälen

Ski resorts near Sälen

Distances are straight-line, not by road.