Vatra Dornei snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Suceava, Romania · 800m to 1,300m

Over the last 10 seasons Vatra Dornei, Romania has averaged 135cm of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 42cm, 0 powder days and 2 bluebird days a year.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Vatra Dornei

135 cm
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
42 cm
Peak depth
typical season high
0
Powder days
15cm+ in a day
2
Bluebird days
sun after snow
45
Rain days
1mm+ of rain
36
Skiable days
30cm+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Vatra Dornei, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan25 cm23 cm7mm4.4 h-1° / -8°0.00.22.0
Feb27 cm28 cm12mm5.5 h1° / -8°0.00.52.7
Mar20 cm19 cm19mm7.7 h6° / -4°0.00.25.6
Apr17 cm4 cm41mm9.2 h10° / -1°0.00.68.8
May3 cm0 cm94mm10.6 h15° / 4°0.00.116.4
Jun0 cm0 cm104mm12.2 h20° / 10°0.00.017.5
Jul0 cm0 cm100mm12.6 h21° / 11°0.00.016.6
Aug0 cm0 cm58mm12.0 h22° / 11°0.00.010.9
Sept1 cm0 cm60mm9.6 h17° / 7°0.00.011.1
Oct8 cm1 cm37mm7.4 h11° / 2°0.10.27.9
Nov16 cm4 cm24mm5.3 h6° / -2°0.10.26.7
Dec27 cm15 cm13mm3.9 h1° / -5°0.00.13.1

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
2025/26leanest85 cm17 cm000
2024/25145 cm42 cm0244
2023/24119 cm25 cm030
2022/23135 cm37 cm015
2021/22149 cm64 cm02105
2020/21151 cm41 cm0031
2019/20120 cm26 cm030
2018/19best154 cm70 cm0299
2017/18142 cm54 cm0242
2016/17153 cm41 cm1433
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 1050m, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Vatra Dornei 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 below average
135 cm
Lowest of every resort we compareMedian 283 cm

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
well below average
42 cm
Ahead of 8% 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
below average
2
Ahead of 25% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
above average
45
Drier than 37% of resortsMedian 32

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

Skiable days
well below average
36
Ahead of 18% of resortsMedian 115

Days holding 30cm or more of settled snow.

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
28cm average depth
Most new snow
February
27cm and 0.0 powder days
Best bluebird odds
April
0.6 bluebird days, 9.2h sun a day
Wettest month
May
16.4 rain days

Is Vatra Dornei a good place to ski or board?

snowfall is on the light sidethe base does not get especially deepthe season is shorter than average

On 10 years of record, Vatra Dornei is a mixed picture: snowfall is on the light side, the base does not get especially deep and the season is shorter than average. It can still ski well in a good year — 2018/19 produced 154cm — but the averages argue for flexibility on timing.

Figures are modelled at 1050m from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Vatra Dornei snow record in detail

How much snow does Vatra Dornei get?

Vatra Dornei averages 135cm of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is well below average: more snow than fewer than every other resort in the set, where the median season brings 283cm.

Season to season the spread is wide. The best of the last 10 winters was 2018/19 with 154cm, and the leanest was 2025/26 with 85cm — a difference of 69cm between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 85cm.

February is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 27cm and 8 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Vatra Dornei?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Vatra Dornei the snowpack peaks at an average of 42cm each season. That is well below average, deeper than 8% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 84cm.

The base is deepest in February, averaging 28cm through the month and topping out around 37cm in a typical year.

How many powder days does Vatra Dornei get?

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

February has the most, 0.0 on average.

How often does Vatra Dornei get bluebird days?

Vatra Dornei averages 2 bluebird days a season — days of sunshine for at least 60% of daylight after 10cm or more of fresh snow. That is below average, more than 25% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 10.

April is the best month for it, averaging 0.6 bluebird days and 9.2 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Vatra Dornei?

At mid-mountain Vatra Dornei sees an average of 45 days a season with 1mm or more of rain rather than snow. That is above average: 63% 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 16.4 rain days and 94mm on average.

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

For the deepest base, go in February; for the most new snow, February; for fresh snow with sunshine, April.

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 Vatra Dornei are taken at 1050m. Corpus last rebuilt 2 September 2026.

Vatra Dornei 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.

Vatra Dornei in November

Too early

In November cover at mid-mountain is usually too thin to rely on, averaging 4cm through the month. It brings 16cm of new snow in an average year, with 4 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are 6°C and lows -2°C, with 5.3 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is a real risk: 6.7 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average November.

Vatra Dornei in December

Early and thin

December is the start of the season at Vatra Dornei: the base averages 15cm, which is skiable in a good year but patchy in a poor one. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 27cm of new snow on average, 7 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 1°C and lows -5°C, with 3.9 hours of sunshine a day. Expect the odd wet day — 3.1 on average at mid-mountain.

Vatra Dornei in January

Early and thin

January is the start of the season at Vatra Dornei: the base averages 23cm, which is skiable in a good year but patchy in a poor one. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 25cm of new snow on average, 8 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are -1°C and lows -8°C, with 4.4 hours of sunshine a day. Expect the odd wet day — 2 on average at mid-mountain.

Vatra Dornei in February

Thinning out

In February the base is down to an average of 28cm, enough on the upper mountain in most years but not something to count on lower down. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 27cm of new snow on average, 8 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 1°C and lows -8°C, with 5.5 hours of sunshine a day. Expect the odd wet day — 2.7 on average at mid-mountain.

Vatra Dornei in March

Thinning out

In March the base is down to an average of 19cm, enough on the upper mountain in most years but not something to count on lower down. It brings 20cm of new snow in an average year, with 6 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 6°C and lows -4°C, with 7.7 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is a real risk: 5.6 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average March.

Vatra Dornei in April

Season over

By April the snow at mid-mountain has usually gone, with an average depth of just 4cm. It brings 17cm of new snow in an average year, with 4 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 10°C and lows -1°C, with 9.2 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is a real risk: 8.8 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average April.

How Vatra Dornei compares with nearby resorts

Of Vatra Dornei and the 3 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Vatra Dornei ranks 2 of 4 for snowfall, with 135cm a season. Borșa gets more; Durău and Băile Tușnad get less.

Vatra Dornei has the most powder days of the group (0 a season); Borșa builds the deepest base (78cm against 42cm); and Borșa gets the most bluebird days (4 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 Vatra Dornei and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Vatra Dornei—1050m135cm42cm02
Borșa53 km1250m222cm78cm04
Durău58 km1150m92cm29cm01
Băile Tușnad138 km825m87cm22cm00

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

More on Vatra Dornei

Ski resorts near Vatra Dornei

Distances are straight-line, not by road.