Zell am See snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Salzburg, Austria · 757m to 2,000m

Over the last 10 seasons Zell am See, Austria has averaged 367cm of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 120cm, 4 powder days and 14 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around 5 December to 2 May.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Zell am See

367 cm
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
120 cm
Peak depth
typical season high
4
Powder days
15cm+ in a day
14
Bluebird days
sun after snow
50
Rain days
1mm+ of rain
139
Skiable days
30cm+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Zell am See, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan77 cm83 cm7mm5.6 h1° / -8°0.82.81.5
Feb66 cm98 cm12mm6.9 h3° / -6°1.12.43.3
Mar55 cm95 cm30mm8.2 h6° / -4°0.32.26.7
Apr37 cm67 cm51mm9.6 h10° / -1°0.11.89.7
May12 cm18 cm167mm9.8 h14° / 3°0.00.319.2
Jun0 cm1 cm161mm12.0 h20° / 9°0.00.017.3
Jul0 cm0 cm189mm11.8 h20° / 10°0.00.019.7
Aug1 cm0 cm173mm10.9 h20° / 11°0.00.016.8
Sept11 cm2 cm136mm9.1 h16° / 7°0.10.414.9
Oct19 cm3 cm102mm7.4 h12° / 3°0.10.811.7
Nov54 cm16 cm38mm6.1 h6° / -2°0.71.95.9
Dec65 cm50 cm21mm5.1 h2° / -6°0.72.33.9

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
2025/26233 cm46 cm1811
2024/25leanest232 cm73 cm16127
2023/24414 cm136 cm511168
2022/23340 cm110 cm28149
2021/22423 cm134 cm516164
2020/21371 cm141 cm313167
2019/20362 cm143 cm523169
2018/19best561 cm168 cm1014173
2017/18403 cm157 cm224168
2016/17329 cm89 cm31490
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 1379m, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Zell am See 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
367 cm
Ahead of 73% of resortsMedian 283 cm

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
well above average
120 cm
Ahead of 80% of resortsMedian 84 cm

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
above average
4
Ahead of 73% of resortsMedian 2

Days with 15cm or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
above average
14
Ahead of 68% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
above average
50
Drier than 30% of resortsMedian 32

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

Skiable days
above average
139
Ahead of 63% of resortsMedian 115

Days holding 30cm or more of settled snow.

The season at Zell am See

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

SeptOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
5 December
Season ends
2 May
Days of cover
150 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
98cm average depth
Most new snow
January
77cm and 0.8 powder days
Best bluebird odds
January
2.8 bluebird days, 5.6h sun a day
Wettest month
May
19.2 rain days

Is Zell am See a good place to ski or board?

heavy snowfalla deep, reliable basefrequent powder daysit sees more rain than most

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

Figures are modelled at 1379m from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Zell am See snow record in detail

How much snow does Zell am See get?

Zell am See averages 367cm of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is above average: more snow than 73% 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 2018/19 with 561cm, and the leanest was 2024/25 with 232cm — a difference of 329cm between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 233cm.

January is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 77cm and 13 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Zell am See?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Zell am See the snowpack peaks at an average of 120cm each season. That is well above average, deeper than 80% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 84cm.

The base is deepest in February, averaging 98cm through the month and topping out around 112cm in a typical year.

How many powder days does Zell am See get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 15cm of new snow, Zell am See averages 4 powder days a season. That is above average, more powder days than 73% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median is 2 a season.

January has the most, 0.8 on average.

How often does Zell am See get bluebird days?

Zell am See averages 14 bluebird days a season — days of sunshine for at least 60% of daylight after 10cm or more of fresh snow. That is above average, more than 68% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 10.

January is the best month for it, averaging 2.8 bluebird days and 5.6 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Zell am See?

At mid-mountain Zell am See sees an average of 50 days a season with 1mm or more of rain rather than snow. That is above average: 70% 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 19.2 rain days and 167mm on average.

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

Zell am See typically holds at least 30cm of settled snow from around 5 December through to 2 May, which works out at roughly 150 days of skiable cover in an average year. 139 of those fall inside the November to May season. On season length that is above 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, 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 Zell am See are taken at 1379m. Corpus last rebuilt 2 September 2026.

Zell am See 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.

Zell am See in November

Early and thin

November is the start of the season at Zell am See: the base averages 16cm, 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 0.7 powder days. Average highs are 6°C and lows -2°C, with 6.1 hours of sunshine a day and 1.9 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 5.9 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average November.

Zell am See in December

Base building

December is when the base starts to build, averaging 50cm and deepening towards its February peak. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 65cm of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 0.7 powder days. Average highs are 2°C and lows -6°C, with 5.1 hours of sunshine a day and 2.3 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 3.9 on average at mid-mountain.

Zell am See in January

Best all round

By January the base is close to its February peak, averaging 83cm. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 77cm of new snow on average, 13 snow days and 0.8 powder days. Average highs are 1°C and lows -8°C, with 5.6 hours of sunshine a day and 2.8 bluebird days, the most of any month. Expect the odd wet day — 1.5 on average at mid-mountain. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Zell am See.

Zell am See in February

Deepest base

February is when the base at Zell am See is at its deepest, averaging 98cm through the month and peaking around 112cm in a typical year. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 66cm of new snow on average, 10 snow days and 1.1 powder days. Average highs are 3°C and lows -6°C, with 6.9 hours of sunshine a day and 2.4 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 3.3 on average at mid-mountain.

Zell am See in March

Still deep

March still has a deep base, averaging 95cm — only a little down on the February peak. It brings 55cm of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and 0.3 powder days. Average highs are 6°C and lows -4°C, with 8.2 hours of sunshine a day and 2.2 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 6.7 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average March.

Zell am See in April

Late season

In April the base averages 67cm, past its February peak of 98cm and thinning. It brings 37cm of new snow in an average year, with 7 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are 10°C and lows -1°C, with 9.6 hours of sunshine a day and 1.8 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 9.7 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average April.

How Zell am See compares with nearby resorts

Of Zell am See and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Zell am See ranks 4 of 5 for snowfall, with 367cm a season. Kaprun, Dorfgastein and Bad Hofgastein get more; Saalbach gets less.

Kaprun has the most powder days (6 a season, against 4 here); Kaprun builds the deepest base (165cm against 120cm); and Kaprun gets the most bluebird days (22 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 Zell am See and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Zell am See—1379m367cm120cm414
Kaprun7 km1908m519cm165cm622
Saalbach15 km1550m301cm122cm210
Dorfgastein24 km1749m377cm126cm414
Bad Hofgastein28 km1773m458cm132cm519

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

More on Zell am See

Ski resorts near Zell am See

Distances are straight-line, not by road.