Sestriere snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Piedmont, Italy · 2,035m to 2,823m

Over the last 10 seasons Sestriere, Italy has averaged 400cm of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 151cm, 6 powder days and 23 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around 21 November to 20 May.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Sestriere

400 cm
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
151 cm
Peak depth
typical season high
6
Powder days
15cm+ in a day
23
Bluebird days
sun after snow
16
Rain days
1mm+ of rain
170
Skiable days
30cm+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Sestriere, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan58 cm92 cm1mm7.2 h-5° / -14°0.53.90.3
Feb43 cm110 cm1mm8.2 h-2° / -11°0.41.90.3
Mar62 cm124 cm1mm9.2 h-1° / -11°0.83.80.3
Apr52 cm100 cm6mm10.5 h2° / -7°0.72.92.0
May43 cm42 cm45mm11.4 h7° / -3°0.92.410.0
Jun1 cm1 cm75mm13.4 h14° / 3°0.00.014.4
Jul2 cm0 cm37mm14.2 h17° / 5°0.10.29.5
Aug2 cm0 cm52mm12.5 h17° / 5°0.10.29.2
Sept4 cm0 cm45mm10.7 h12° / 1°0.00.18.3
Oct20 cm2 cm57mm8.3 h7° / -2°0.20.77.2
Nov76 cm26 cm10mm6.8 h0° / -8°1.43.42.6
Dec65 cm70 cm3mm6.7 h-4° / -12°1.04.40.5

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
2025/26311 cm116 cm12270
2024/25356 cm132 cm417168
2023/24573 cm215 cm1235207
2022/23377 cm114 cm626155
2021/22leanest247 cm100 cm310171
2020/21301 cm108 cm311172
2019/20475 cm197 cm1028187
2018/19313 cm132 cm316205
2017/18best612 cm246 cm1033180
2016/17437 cm150 cm529184
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 2429m, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Sestriere 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
well above average
400 cm
Ahead of 80% of resortsMedian 283 cm

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
well above average
151 cm
Ahead of 85% of resortsMedian 84 cm

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
well above average
6
Ahead of 85% of resortsMedian 2

Days with 15cm or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
among the very best we track
23
Ahead of 98% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
well below average
16
Drier than 85% of resortsMedian 32

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

Skiable days
well above average
170
Ahead of 85% of resortsMedian 115

Days holding 30cm or more of settled snow.

The season at Sestriere

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

SeptOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
21 November
Season ends
20 May
Days of cover
182 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
124cm average depth
Most new snow
November
76cm and 1.4 powder days
Best bluebird odds
December
4.4 bluebird days, 6.7h sun a day
Wettest month
May
10.0 rain days

Is Sestriere a good place to ski or board?

heavy snowfalla deep, reliable basefrequent powder daysplenty of bluebird daysvery little raina long season

On 10 years of record, Sestriere stands out for heavy snowfall, a deep, reliable base, frequent powder days, plenty of bluebird days, very little rain and a long season.

Figures are modelled at 2429m from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Sestriere snow record in detail

How much snow does Sestriere get?

Sestriere averages 400cm of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is well above average: more snow than 80% 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 2017/18 with 612cm, and the leanest was 2021/22 with 247cm — a difference of 364cm between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 311cm.

November is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 76cm and 9 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Sestriere?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Sestriere the snowpack peaks at an average of 151cm each season. That is well above average, deeper than 85% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 84cm.

The base is deepest in March, averaging 124cm through the month and topping out around 143cm in a typical year.

How many powder days does Sestriere get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 15cm of new snow, Sestriere averages 6 powder days a season. That is well above average, more powder days than 85% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median is 2 a season.

November has the most, 1.4 on average.

How often does Sestriere get bluebird days?

Sestriere averages 23 bluebird days a season — days of sunshine for at least 60% of daylight after 10cm or more of fresh snow. That is among the very best we track, more than 98% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 10.

December is the best month for it, averaging 4.4 bluebird days and 6.7 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Sestriere?

At mid-mountain Sestriere sees an average of 16 days a season with 1mm or more of rain rather than snow. That is well below average: 15% 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 10.0 rain days and 45mm on average.

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

Sestriere typically holds at least 30cm of settled snow from around 21 November through to 20 May, which works out at roughly 182 days of skiable cover in an average year. 170 of those fall inside the November to May season. On season length that is well above average compared with the 40 other resorts we have analysed the same way.

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

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 Sestriere are taken at 2429m. Corpus last rebuilt 2 September 2026.

Sestriere 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.

Sestriere in November

Early and thin

November is the start of the season at Sestriere: the base averages 26cm, which is skiable in a good year but patchy in a poor one. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 76cm of new snow on average, 9 snow days and 1.4 powder days. Average highs are 0°C and lows -8°C, with 6.8 hours of sunshine a day and 3.4 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 2.6 on average at mid-mountain.

Sestriere in December

Base building

December is when the base starts to build, averaging 70cm and deepening towards its March peak. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 65cm of new snow on average, 10 snow days and 1 powder days. Average highs are -4°C and lows -12°C, with 6.7 hours of sunshine a day and 4.4 bluebird days, the most of any month. Rain is rare: under two days in a typical December.

Sestriere in January

Base building

Through January the base keeps building, to an average of 92cm. It brings 58cm of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and 0.5 powder days. Average highs are -5°C and lows -14°C, with 7.2 hours of sunshine a day and 3.9 bluebird days.

Sestriere in February

Base building

By February the base is close to its March peak, averaging 110cm. It brings 43cm of new snow in an average year, with 7 snow days and 0.4 powder days. Average highs are -2°C and lows -11°C, with 8.2 hours of sunshine a day and 1.9 bluebird days.

Sestriere in March

Best all round

March is when the base at Sestriere is at its deepest, averaging 124cm through the month and peaking around 143cm in a typical year. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 62cm of new snow on average, 9 snow days and 0.8 powder days. Average highs are -1°C and lows -11°C, with 9.2 hours of sunshine a day and 3.8 bluebird days. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Sestriere.

Sestriere in April

Still deep

April still has a deep base, averaging 100cm — only a little down on the March peak. It brings 52cm of new snow in an average year, with 8 snow days and 0.7 powder days. Average highs are 2°C and lows -7°C, with 10.5 hours of sunshine a day and 2.9 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 2 on average at mid-mountain.

Sestriere in May

Late season

In May the base averages 42cm, past its March peak of 124cm and thinning. It brings 43cm of new snow in an average year, with 7 snow days and 0.9 powder days. Average highs are 7°C and lows -3°C, with 11.4 hours of sunshine a day and 2.4 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 10 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average May.

How Sestriere compares with nearby resorts

Of Sestriere and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Sestriere ranks 3 of 5 for snowfall, with 400cm a season. Pragelato and Bardonecchia get more; Sauze d'Oulx and Claviere get less.

Pragelato has the most powder days (7 a season, against 6 here); Bardonecchia builds the deepest base (187cm against 151cm); and Sestriere 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 Sestriere and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Sestriere—2429m400cm151cm623
Sauze d'Oulx8 km2167m393cm154cm521
Claviere9 km2280m395cm156cm522
Pragelato10 km2174m442cm136cm722
Bardonecchia20 km2031m465cm187cm723

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

More on Sestriere

Ski resorts near Sestriere

Distances are straight-line, not by road.