Zakopane snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Lesser Poland, Poland · 838m to 1,987m

Over the last 10 seasons Zakopane, Poland has averaged 343cm of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 73cm, 2 powder days and 9 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around 21 December to 4 April.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Zakopane

343 cm
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
73 cm
Peak depth
typical season high
2
Powder days
15cm+ in a day
9
Bluebird days
sun after snow
43
Rain days
1mm+ of rain
94
Skiable days
30cm+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Zakopane, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan68 cm45 cm7mm4.4 h-3° / -8°0.41.51.7
Feb65 cm55 cm9mm5.4 h-1° / -7°0.51.52.6
Mar46 cm42 cm15mm8.0 h1° / -5°0.31.34.8
Apr44 cm16 cm40mm9.2 h5° / -2°0.31.98.3
May17 cm0 cm126mm10.8 h10° / 3°0.10.618.2
Jun0 cm0 cm168mm12.6 h16° / 8°0.00.020.5
Jul0 cm0 cm193mm12.6 h17° / 9°0.00.023.4
Aug0 cm0 cm158mm11.6 h18° / 10°0.00.018.7
Sept4 cm0 cm130mm9.0 h13° / 6°0.00.015.2
Oct29 cm1 cm72mm6.9 h8° / 2°0.40.511.6
Nov41 cm6 cm29mm5.1 h3° / -3°0.21.15.3
Dec62 cm25 cm8mm3.7 h-1° / -6°0.11.42.2

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
2025/26259 cm56 cm3384
2024/25leanest228 cm75 cm1616
2023/24401 cm88 cm21193
2022/23best404 cm83 cm31091
2021/22398 cm79 cm49128
2020/21318 cm63 cm0786
2019/20341 cm61 cm38102
2018/19393 cm89 cm18106
2017/18345 cm75 cm017126
2016/17342 cm62 cm214110
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 1413m, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Zakopane 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
above average
343 cm
Ahead of 70% of resortsMedian 283 cm

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
below average
73 cm
Ahead of 35% of resortsMedian 84 cm

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
about average
2
Ahead of 43% of resortsMedian 2

Days with 15cm or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
about average
9
Ahead of 48% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
above average
43
Drier than 37% of resortsMedian 32

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

Skiable days
below average
94
Ahead of 35% of resortsMedian 115

Days holding 30cm or more of settled snow.

The season at Zakopane

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

SeptOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
21 December
Season ends
4 April
Days of cover
106 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
February
55cm average depth
Most new snow
January
68cm and 0.4 powder days
Best bluebird odds
April
1.9 bluebird days, 9.2h sun a day
Wettest month
May
18.2 rain days

Is Zakopane a good place to ski or board?

heavy snowfall

On 10 years of record, Zakopane stands out for heavy snowfall.

Figures are modelled at 1413m from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Zakopane snow record in detail

How much snow does Zakopane get?

Zakopane averages 343cm of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is above average: more snow than 70% 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 2022/23 with 404cm, and the leanest was 2024/25 with 228cm — a difference of 176cm between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 259cm.

January is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 68cm and 13 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Zakopane?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Zakopane the snowpack peaks at an average of 73cm each season. That is below average, deeper than 35% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 84cm.

The base is deepest in February, averaging 55cm through the month and topping out around 65cm in a typical year.

How many powder days does Zakopane get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 15cm of new snow, Zakopane averages 2 powder days a season. That is about average, more powder days than 43% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median is 2 a season.

January has the most, 0.4 on average.

How often does Zakopane get bluebird days?

Zakopane averages 9 bluebird days a season — days of sunshine for at least 60% of daylight after 10cm or more of fresh snow. That is about average, more than 48% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 10.

April is the best month for it, averaging 1.9 bluebird days and 9.2 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Zakopane?

At mid-mountain Zakopane sees an average of 43 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 18.2 rain days and 126mm on average.

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

Zakopane typically holds at least 30cm of settled snow from around 21 December through to 4 April, which works out at roughly 106 days of skiable cover in an average year. 94 of those fall inside the November to May season. On season length that is below average compared with the 40 other resorts we have analysed the same way.

For the deepest base, go in February; for the most new snow, January; 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 Zakopane are taken at 1413m. Corpus last rebuilt 2 September 2026.

Zakopane 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.

Zakopane in November

Too early

In November cover at mid-mountain is usually too thin to rely on, averaging 6cm through the month. It brings 41cm of new snow in an average year, with 7 snow days and 0.2 powder days. Average highs are 3°C and lows -3°C, with 5.1 hours of sunshine a day and 1.1 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 5.3 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average November.

Zakopane in December

Early and thin

December is the start of the season at Zakopane: the base averages 25cm, which is skiable in a good year but patchy in a poor one. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 62cm of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are -1°C and lows -6°C, with 3.7 hours of sunshine a day and 1.4 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 2.2 on average at mid-mountain.

Zakopane in January

Best all round

January is when the base starts to build, averaging 45cm and deepening towards its February peak. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 68cm of new snow on average, 13 snow days and 0.4 powder days. Average highs are -3°C and lows -8°C, with 4.4 hours of sunshine a day and 1.5 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 1.7 on average at mid-mountain. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Zakopane.

Zakopane in February

Deepest base

February is when the base at Zakopane is at its deepest, averaging 55cm through the month and peaking around 65cm in a typical year. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 65cm of new snow on average, 13 snow days and 0.5 powder days. Average highs are -1°C and lows -7°C, with 5.4 hours of sunshine a day and 1.5 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 2.6 on average at mid-mountain.

Zakopane in March

Still deep

March still has a deep base, averaging 42cm — only a little down on the February peak. It brings 46cm of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and 0.3 powder days. Average highs are 1°C and lows -5°C, with 8 hours of sunshine a day and 1.3 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 4.8 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average March.

Zakopane in April

Thinning out

In April the base is down to an average of 16cm, enough on the upper mountain in most years but not something to count on lower down. It brings 44cm of new snow in an average year, with 9 snow days and 0.3 powder days. Average highs are 5°C and lows -2°C, with 9.2 hours of sunshine a day and 1.9 bluebird days, the most of any month. Rain is a real risk: 8.3 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average April.

How Zakopane compares with nearby resorts

Of Zakopane and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Zakopane ranks 2 of 5 for snowfall, with 343cm a season. Kasprowy Wierch gets more; Białka Tatrzańska, Štrbské Pleso and Tatranská Lomnica get less.

Kasprowy Wierch has the most powder days (3 a season, against 2 here); Kasprowy Wierch builds the deepest base (78cm against 73cm); and Kasprowy Wierch gets the most bluebird days (11 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 Zakopane and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Zakopane—1413m343cm73cm29
Kasprowy Wierch8 km1987m364cm78cm311
Białka Tatrzańska14 km821m174cm48cm02
Štrbské Pleso, Slovakia22 km1690m335cm75cm29
Tatranská Lomnica, Slovakia28 km1742m256cm52cm16

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

More on Zakopane

Ski resorts near Zakopane

Distances are straight-line, not by road.