Val d'Isère snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Savoie, France · 1,850m to 3,456m

Over the last 10 seasons Val d'Isère, France has averaged 652cm of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 235cm, 11 powder days and 29 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around 12 November to 7 June.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Val d'Isère

652 cm
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
235 cm
Peak depth
typical season high
11
Powder days
15cm+ in a day
29
Bluebird days
sun after snow
7
Rain days
1mm+ of rain
198
Skiable days
30cm+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Val d'Isère, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan117 cm150 cm1mm6.4 h-7° / -13°2.23.80.2
Feb73 cm171 cm1mm7.6 h-4° / -11°1.23.50.0
Mar95 cm192 cm1mm8.6 h-4° / -11°1.64.70.0
Apr66 cm186 cm2mm10.5 h-1° / -8°0.73.60.4
May69 cm145 cm13mm11.2 h3° / -4°0.84.04.1
Jun8 cm27 cm58mm13.1 h10° / 2°0.00.213.8
Jul4 cm0 cm53mm13.7 h12° / 4°0.00.112.8
Aug6 cm0 cm66mm12.2 h12° / 4°0.10.112.5
Sept16 cm1 cm55mm10.4 h9° / 1°0.10.49.7
Oct49 cm5 cm40mm8.0 h4° / -3°0.52.27.2
Nov104 cm48 cm9mm6.4 h-2° / -9°2.04.61.3
Dec129 cm111 cm2mm5.7 h-5° / -11°2.94.80.6

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
2025/26leanest466 cm193 cm719194
2024/25549 cm256 cm814192
2023/24829 cm299 cm1334212
2022/23601 cm178 cm733191
2021/22520 cm177 cm1123193
2020/21575 cm182 cm726175
2019/20847 cm297 cm2235210
2018/19627 cm247 cm1127212
2017/18best930 cm305 cm1945201
2016/17581 cm220 cm934204
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 2653m, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Val d'Isère 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
among the very best we track
652 cm
Ahead of 95% of resortsMedian 283 cm

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
among the very best we track
235 cm
Ahead of 95% of resortsMedian 84 cm

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
among the very best we track
11
Ahead of 95% of resortsMedian 2

Days with 15cm or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
among the very best we track
29
Ahead of 98% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
well below average
7
Drier than 95% of resortsMedian 32

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

Skiable days
among the very best we track
198
Ahead of 93% of resortsMedian 115

Days holding 30cm or more of settled snow.

The season at Val d'Isère

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

SeptOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
12 November
Season ends
7 June
Days of cover
209 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
192cm average depth
Most new snow
December
129cm and 2.9 powder days
Best bluebird odds
December
4.8 bluebird days, 5.7h sun a day
Wettest month
May
4.1 rain days

Is Val d'Isère 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, Val d'Isère 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 2653m from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Val d'Isère snow record in detail

How much snow does Val d'Isère get?

Val d'Isère averages 652cm of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is among the very best we track: more snow than 95% 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 930cm, and the leanest was 2025/26 with 466cm — a difference of 464cm between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 466cm.

December is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 129cm and 13 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Val d'Isère?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Val d'Isère the snowpack peaks at an average of 235cm each season. That is among the very best we track, deeper than 95% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 84cm.

The base is deepest in March, averaging 192cm through the month and topping out around 217cm in a typical year.

How many powder days does Val d'Isère get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 15cm of new snow, Val d'Isère averages 11 powder days a season. That is among the very best we track, more powder days than 95% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median is 2 a season.

December has the most, 2.9 on average.

How often does Val d'Isère get bluebird days?

Val d'Isère averages 29 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 4.8 bluebird days and 5.7 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Val d'Isère?

At mid-mountain Val d'Isère sees an average of 7 days a season with 1mm or more of rain rather than snow. That is well below average: 5% 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 4.1 rain days and 13mm on average.

When is the best time to ski or board Val d'Isère, and when does the season end?

Val d'Isère typically holds at least 30cm of settled snow from around 12 November through to 7 June, which works out at roughly 209 days of skiable cover in an average year. 198 of those fall inside the November to May season. On season length that is among the very best we track compared with the 40 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, 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 Val d'Isère are taken at 2653m. Corpus last rebuilt 2 September 2026.

Val d'Isère 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.

Val d'Isère in November

Base building

November is when the base starts to build, averaging 48cm and deepening towards its March peak. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 104cm of new snow on average, 13 snow days and 2 powder days. Average highs are -2°C and lows -9°C, with 6.4 hours of sunshine a day and 4.6 bluebird days. Rain is rare: under two days in a typical November.

Val d'Isère in December

Base building

Through December the base keeps building, to an average of 111cm. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 129cm of new snow on average, 13 snow days and 2.9 powder days. Average highs are -5°C and lows -11°C, with 5.7 hours of sunshine a day and 4.8 bluebird days, the most of any month.

Val d'Isère in January

Base building

Through January the base keeps building, to an average of 150cm. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 117cm of new snow on average, 13 snow days and 2.2 powder days. Average highs are -7°C and lows -13°C, with 6.4 hours of sunshine a day and 3.8 bluebird days.

Val d'Isère in February

Base building

By February the base is close to its March peak, averaging 171cm. It brings 73cm of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and 1.2 powder days. Average highs are -4°C and lows -11°C, with 7.6 hours of sunshine a day and 3.5 bluebird days.

Val d'Isère in March

Best all round

March is when the base at Val d'Isère is at its deepest, averaging 192cm through the month and peaking around 217cm in a typical year. It brings 95cm of new snow in an average year, with 13 snow days and 1.6 powder days. Average highs are -4°C and lows -11°C, with 8.6 hours of sunshine a day and 4.7 bluebird days. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Val d'Isère.

Val d'Isère in April

Still deep

April still has a deep base, averaging 186cm — only a little down on the March peak. It brings 66cm of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and 0.7 powder days. Average highs are -1°C and lows -8°C, with 10.5 hours of sunshine a day and 3.6 bluebird days.

Val d'Isère in May

Still deep

May still has a deep base, averaging 145cm — only a little down on the March peak. It brings 69cm of new snow in an average year, with 11 snow days and 0.8 powder days. Average highs are 3°C and lows -4°C, with 11.2 hours of sunshine a day and 4 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 4.1 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average May.

How Val d'Isère compares with nearby resorts

Of Val d'Isère and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Val d'Isère ranks 2 of 5 for snowfall, with 652cm a season. Les Arcs gets more; La Plagne and Courchevel get less.

Les Arcs has the most powder days (12 a season, against 11 here); Val d'Isère builds the deepest base (235cm at its peak); and Val d'Isère 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 Val d'Isère and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Val d'Isère—2653m652cm235cm1129
Tignes6 km2503m652cm232cm1129
Les Arcs22 km2213m656cm234cm1225
La Plagne25 km2250m642cm217cm1128
Courchevel27 km1919m579cm216cm923

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

More on Val d'Isère

Ski resorts near Val d'Isère

Distances are straight-line, not by road.