Villars snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Vaud, Switzerland · 1,300m to 2,200m

Over the last 10 seasons Villars, Switzerland has averaged 383cm of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 171cm, 5 powder days and 19 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around 25 November to 11 May.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Villars

383 cm
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
171 cm
Peak depth
typical season high
5
Powder days
15cm+ in a day
19
Bluebird days
sun after snow
53
Rain days
1mm+ of rain
165
Skiable days
30cm+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Villars, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan84 cm108 cm28mm6.0 h-1° / -10°1.14.13.9
Feb57 cm134 cm20mm7.2 h2° / -8°0.52.53.7
Mar62 cm139 cm28mm8.5 h4° / -7°0.83.06.4
Apr33 cm107 cm53mm10.3 h7° / -3°0.21.88.7
May12 cm37 cm144mm10.7 h11° / 1°0.10.618.6
Jun0 cm1 cm149mm12.6 h16° / 6°0.00.017.3
Jul0 cm0 cm110mm12.8 h17° / 7°0.00.014.6
Aug0 cm0 cm107mm11.5 h18° / 8°0.00.014.8
Sept3 cm0 cm102mm9.7 h13° / 4°0.00.112.5
Oct10 cm1 cm101mm7.9 h10° / 0°0.10.711.4
Nov54 cm19 cm59mm6.1 h3° / -5°0.62.87.2
Dec81 cm69 cm44mm5.4 h0° / -8°1.63.94.8

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
2025/26342 cm177 cm614109
2024/25325 cm141 cm517163
2023/24420 cm165 cm322200
2022/23321 cm121 cm316156
2021/22350 cm149 cm620160
2020/21405 cm173 cm314172
2019/20395 cm221 cm625174
2018/19423 cm178 cm925174
2017/18best554 cm244 cm623190
2016/17leanest300 cm142 cm211152
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 1750m, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Villars 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
383 cm
Ahead of 78% of resortsMedian 283 cm

Total new snow between November and May.

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

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
well above average
5
Ahead of 80% of resortsMedian 2

Days with 15cm or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
well above average
19
Ahead of 85% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
well above average
53
Drier than 20% of resortsMedian 32

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

Skiable days
well above average
165
Ahead of 85% of resortsMedian 115

Days holding 30cm or more of settled snow.

The season at Villars

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

SeptOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
25 November
Season ends
11 May
Days of cover
169 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
139cm average depth
Most new snow
January
84cm and 1.1 powder days
Best bluebird odds
January
4.1 bluebird days, 6.0h sun a day
Wettest month
May
18.6 rain days

Is Villars a good place to ski or board?

heavy snowfalla deep, reliable basefrequent powder daysplenty of bluebird daysa long seasonit sees more rain than most

On 10 years of record, Villars stands out for heavy snowfall, a deep, reliable base, frequent powder days, plenty of bluebird days and a long season. The trade-off is that it sees more rain than most.

Figures are modelled at 1750m from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Villars snow record in detail

How much snow does Villars get?

Villars averages 383cm of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is well above average: more snow than 78% 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 554cm, and the leanest was 2016/17 with 300cm — a difference of 254cm between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 342cm.

January is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 84cm and 11 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Villars?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Villars the snowpack peaks at an average of 171cm 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 139cm through the month and topping out around 164cm in a typical year.

How many powder days does Villars get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 15cm of new snow, Villars averages 5 powder days a season. That is well above average, more powder days than 80% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median is 2 a season.

January has the most, 1.1 on average.

How often does Villars get bluebird days?

Villars averages 19 bluebird days a season — days of sunshine for at least 60% of daylight after 10cm or more of fresh snow. That is well above average, more than 85% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 10.

January is the best month for it, averaging 4.1 bluebird days and 6.0 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Villars?

At mid-mountain Villars sees an average of 53 days a season with 1mm or more of rain rather than snow. That is well above average: 80% 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 18.6 rain days and 144mm on average.

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

Villars typically holds at least 30cm of settled snow from around 25 November through to 11 May, which works out at roughly 169 days of skiable cover in an average year. 165 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, January; for fresh snow with sunshine, January.

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 Villars are taken at 1750m. Corpus last rebuilt 2 September 2026.

Villars 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.

Villars in November

Early and thin

November is the start of the season at Villars: the base averages 19cm, which is skiable in a good year but patchy in a poor one. It brings 54cm of new snow in an average year, with 9 snow days and 0.6 powder days. Average highs are 3°C and lows -5°C, with 6.1 hours of sunshine a day and 2.8 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 7.2 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average November.

Villars in December

Base building

December is when the base starts to build, averaging 69cm and deepening towards its March peak. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 81cm of new snow on average, 11 snow days and 1.6 powder days. Average highs are 0°C and lows -8°C, with 5.4 hours of sunshine a day and 3.9 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 4.8 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average December.

Villars in January

Best all round

Through January the base keeps building, to an average of 108cm. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 84cm of new snow on average, 11 snow days and 1.1 powder days. Average highs are -1°C and lows -10°C, with 6 hours of sunshine a day and 4.1 bluebird days, the most of any month. Expect the odd wet day — 3.9 on average at mid-mountain. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Villars.

Villars in February

Base building

By February the base is close to its March peak, averaging 134cm. It brings 57cm of new snow in an average year, with 8 snow days and 0.5 powder days. Average highs are 2°C and lows -8°C, with 7.2 hours of sunshine a day and 2.5 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 3.7 on average at mid-mountain.

Villars in March

Deepest base

March is when the base at Villars is at its deepest, averaging 139cm through the month and peaking around 164cm in a typical year. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 62cm of new snow on average, 10 snow days and 0.8 powder days. Average highs are 4°C and lows -7°C, with 8.5 hours of sunshine a day and 3 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 6.4 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average March.

Villars in April

Still deep

April still has a deep base, averaging 107cm — only a little down on the March peak. It brings 33cm of new snow in an average year, with 5 snow days and 0.2 powder days. Average highs are 7°C and lows -3°C, with 10.3 hours of sunshine a day and 1.8 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 8.7 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average April.

Villars in May

Late season

In May the base averages 37cm, past its March peak of 139cm and thinning. It brings 12cm of new snow in an average year, with 3 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are 11°C and lows 1°C, with 10.7 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is a real risk: 18.6 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average May.

How Villars compares with nearby resorts

Of Villars and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Villars ranks last for snowfall, with 383cm a season. Every one of its neighbours gets more.

Avoriaz has the most powder days (9 a season, against 5 here); Verbier builds the deepest base (243cm against 171cm); and Verbier gets the most bluebird days (25 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 Villars and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Villars—1750m383cm171cm519
Leysin7 km1732m428cm155cm620
Gstaad25 km1525m457cm186cm521
Verbier25 km2415m565cm243cm825
Avoriaz, France26 km2133m528cm165cm923

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

More on Villars

Ski resorts near Villars

Distances are straight-line, not by road.