Val Thorens snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Savoie, France · 2,300m to 3,230m

Over the last 10 seasons Val Thorens, France has averaged 588cm of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 213cm, 9 powder days and 26 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around 14 November to 27 May.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Val Thorens

588 cm
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
213 cm
Peak depth
typical season high
9
Powder days
15cm+ in a day
26
Bluebird days
sun after snow
16
Rain days
1mm+ of rain
192
Skiable days
30cm+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Val Thorens, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan108 cm143 cm1mm6.1 h-7° / -14°2.14.40.3
Feb69 cm166 cm2mm7.3 h-5° / -12°1.33.30.3
Mar90 cm182 cm2mm8.2 h-4° / -12°1.33.90.3
Apr58 cm161 cm6mm9.9 h-1° / -8°0.52.61.5
May57 cm93 cm38mm10.5 h3° / -5°0.53.710.0
Jun5 cm9 cm88mm12.3 h10° / 1°0.00.017.4
Jul1 cm0 cm70mm12.9 h12° / 3°0.00.014.1
Aug5 cm0 cm77mm11.6 h12° / 3°0.10.113.7
Sept13 cm1 cm60mm9.8 h8° / -1°0.20.110.1
Oct32 cm3 cm60mm7.9 h4° / -5°0.30.88.6
Nov84 cm38 cm16mm6.3 h-3° / -11°1.04.12.4
Dec123 cm102 cm4mm5.5 h-6° / -13°2.74.00.9

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
2025/26485 cm223 cm925178
2024/25495 cm170 cm814179
2023/24710 cm235 cm832212
2022/23533 cm161 cm622186
2021/22480 cm173 cm1018178
2020/21561 cm168 cm731172
2019/20700 cm285 cm1832203
2018/19603 cm230 cm928212
2017/18best834 cm277 cm1532201
2016/17leanest479 cm208 cm426200
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 2765m, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Val Thorens 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
among the very best we track
588 cm
Ahead of 95% of resortsMedian 272 cm

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
among the very best we track
213 cm
Ahead of 92% of resortsMedian 83 cm

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
among the very best we track
9
Ahead of 95% of resortsMedian 2

Days with 15cm or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
among the very best we track
26
Ahead of 97% of resortsMedian 9

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
192
Ahead of 87% of resortsMedian 114

Days holding 30cm or more of settled snow.

The season at Val Thorens

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

SeptOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
14 November
Season ends
27 May
Days of cover
196 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
182cm average depth
Most new snow
December
123cm and 2.7 powder days
Best bluebird odds
January
4.4 bluebird days, 6.1h sun a day
Wettest month
May
10.0 rain days

Is Val Thorens 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 Thorens 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 2765m from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Val Thorens snow record in detail

How much snow does Val Thorens get?

Val Thorens averages 588cm 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 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median season brings 272cm.

Season to season the spread is wide. The best of the last 10 winters was 2017/18 with 834cm, and the leanest was 2016/17 with 479cm — a difference of 355cm between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 485cm.

December is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 123cm and 13 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Val Thorens?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Val Thorens the snowpack peaks at an average of 213cm each season. That is among the very best we track, deeper than 92% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 83cm.

The base is deepest in March, averaging 182cm through the month and topping out around 206cm in a typical year.

How many powder days does Val Thorens get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 15cm of new snow, Val Thorens averages 9 powder days a season. That is among the very best we track, more powder days than 95% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median is 2 a season.

December has the most, 2.7 on average.

How often does Val Thorens get bluebird days?

Val Thorens averages 26 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 97% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 9.

January is the best month for it, averaging 4.4 bluebird days and 6.1 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Val Thorens?

At mid-mountain Val Thorens 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 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 10.0 rain days and 38mm on average.

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

Val Thorens typically holds at least 30cm of settled snow from around 14 November through to 27 May, which works out at roughly 196 days of skiable cover in an average year. 192 of those fall inside the November to May season. On season length that is well 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, January.

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 Val Thorens are taken at 2765m. Corpus last rebuilt 2 September 2026.

Val Thorens 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 Thorens in November

Base building

November is when the base starts to build, averaging 38cm and deepening towards its March peak. It brings 84cm of new snow in an average year, with 12 snow days and 1 powder days. Average highs are -3°C and lows -11°C, with 6.3 hours of sunshine a day and 4.1 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 2.4 on average at mid-mountain.

Val Thorens in December

Base building

Through December the base keeps building, to an average of 102cm. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 123cm of new snow on average, 13 snow days and 2.7 powder days. Average highs are -6°C and lows -13°C, with 5.5 hours of sunshine a day and 4 bluebird days. Rain is rare: under two days in a typical December.

Val Thorens in January

Best all round

Through January the base keeps building, to an average of 143cm. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 108cm of new snow on average, 13 snow days and 2.1 powder days. Average highs are -7°C and lows -14°C, with 6.1 hours of sunshine a day and 4.4 bluebird days, the most of any month. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Val Thorens.

Val Thorens in February

Base building

By February the base is close to its March peak, averaging 166cm. It brings 69cm of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and 1.3 powder days. Average highs are -5°C and lows -12°C, with 7.3 hours of sunshine a day and 3.3 bluebird days.

Val Thorens in March

Deepest base

March is when the base at Val Thorens is at its deepest, averaging 182cm through the month and peaking around 206cm in a typical year. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 90cm of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 1.3 powder days. Average highs are -4°C and lows -12°C, with 8.2 hours of sunshine a day and 3.9 bluebird days.

Val Thorens in April

Still deep

April still has a deep base, averaging 161cm — only a little down on the March peak. It brings 58cm of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and 0.5 powder days. Average highs are -1°C and lows -8°C, with 9.9 hours of sunshine a day and 2.6 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 1.5 on average at mid-mountain.

Val Thorens in May

Late season

In May the base averages 93cm, past its March peak of 182cm and thinning. It brings 57cm of new snow in an average year, with 9 snow days and 0.5 powder days. Average highs are 3°C and lows -5°C, with 10.5 hours of sunshine a day and 3.7 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 10 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average May.

How Val Thorens compares with nearby resorts

Of Val Thorens and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Val Thorens ranks first for snowfall, with 588cm a season. Every one of its neighbours gets less.

Valmorel has the most powder days (10 a season, against 9 here); Méribel builds the deepest base (219cm against 213cm); and Val Thorens 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 Thorens and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Val Thorens—2765m588cm213cm926
Méribel13 km2026m580cm219cm924
Courchevel14 km1919m579cm216cm923
Valmorel19 km1975m563cm183cm1024
Bardonecchia, Italy26 km2031m465cm187cm723

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

More on Val Thorens

Ski resorts near Val Thorens

Distances are straight-line, not by road.