Zugspitze snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Bavaria, Germany · 2,962m to 2,962m

Over the last 10 seasons Zugspitze, Germany has averaged 341cm of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 120cm, 3 powder days and 12 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around 30 November to 1 May.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Zugspitze

341 cm
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
120 cm
Peak depth
typical season high
3
Powder days
15cm+ in a day
12
Bluebird days
sun after snow
46
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 Zugspitze, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan73 cm77 cm6mm5.6 h-10° / -19°0.92.21.9
Feb49 cm96 cm13mm6.8 h-8° / -17°0.62.02.4
Mar52 cm93 cm19mm8.1 h-5° / -14°0.21.75.1
Apr34 cm64 cm40mm9.7 h-1° / -11°0.01.28.4
May19 cm15 cm141mm9.9 h3° / -7°0.10.719.5
Jun1 cm0 cm160mm11.8 h8° / -2°0.00.019.9
Jul0 cm0 cm170mm11.7 h9° / 0°0.00.020.8
Aug0 cm0 cm164mm10.5 h9° / 0°0.00.019.2
Sept10 cm1 cm114mm9.1 h6° / -4°0.20.315.5
Oct17 cm1 cm82mm7.4 h2° / -8°0.00.711.3
Nov50 cm14 cm24mm5.9 h-5° / -14°0.22.24.9
Dec64 cm49 cm16mm5.0 h-9° / -17°0.71.83.4

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
2025/26249 cm90 cm2728
2024/25leanest236 cm84 cm08133
2023/24best502 cm123 cm416166
2022/23327 cm97 cm16156
2021/22305 cm117 cm310145
2020/21357 cm145 cm212164
2019/20324 cm143 cm212164
2018/19462 cm154 cm917171
2017/18382 cm158 cm415168
2016/17269 cm91 cm01591
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 2962m, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Zugspitze 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
above average
341 cm
Ahead of 69% of resortsMedian 272 cm

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
well above average
120 cm
Ahead of 79% of resortsMedian 83 cm

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
about average
3
Ahead of 59% of resortsMedian 2

Days with 15cm or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
above average
12
Ahead of 62% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
above average
46
Drier than 33% of resortsMedian 32

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

Skiable days
above average
139
Ahead of 62% of resortsMedian 114

Days holding 30cm or more of settled snow.

The season at Zugspitze

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

SeptOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
30 November
Season ends
1 May
Days of cover
154 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
96cm average depth
Most new snow
January
73cm and 0.9 powder days
Best bluebird odds
November
2.2 bluebird days, 5.9h sun a day
Wettest month
May
19.5 rain days

Is Zugspitze a good place to ski or board?

a deep, reliable base

On 10 years of record, Zugspitze stands out for a deep, reliable base.

Figures are modelled at 2962m from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Zugspitze snow record in detail

How much snow does Zugspitze get?

Zugspitze averages 341cm of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is above average: more snow than 69% 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 2023/24 with 502cm, and the leanest was 2024/25 with 236cm — a difference of 266cm between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 249cm.

January is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 73cm and 12 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Zugspitze?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Zugspitze the snowpack peaks at an average of 120cm each season. That is well above average, deeper than 79% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 83cm.

The base is deepest in February, averaging 96cm through the month and topping out around 109cm in a typical year.

How many powder days does Zugspitze get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 15cm of new snow, Zugspitze averages 3 powder days a season. That is about average, more powder days than 59% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median is 2 a season.

January has the most, 0.9 on average.

How often does Zugspitze get bluebird days?

Zugspitze averages 12 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 62% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 10.

November is the best month for it, averaging 2.2 bluebird days and 5.9 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Zugspitze?

At mid-mountain Zugspitze sees an average of 46 days a season with 1mm or more of rain rather than snow. That is above average: 67% 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 19.5 rain days and 141mm on average.

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

Zugspitze typically holds at least 30cm of settled snow from around 30 November through to 1 May, which works out at roughly 154 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 39 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, November.

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 Zugspitze are taken at 2962m. Corpus last rebuilt 2 September 2026.

Zugspitze 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.

Zugspitze in November

Too early

In November cover at mid-mountain is usually too thin to rely on, averaging 14cm through the month. It brings 50cm of new snow in an average year, with 9 snow days and 0.2 powder days. Average highs are -5°C and lows -14°C, with 5.9 hours of sunshine a day and 2.2 bluebird days, the most of any month. Rain is a real risk: 4.9 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average November.

Zugspitze in December

Base building

December is when the base starts to build, averaging 49cm and deepening towards its February peak. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 64cm of new snow on average, 11 snow days and 0.7 powder days. Average highs are -9°C and lows -17°C, with 5 hours of sunshine a day and 1.8 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 3.4 on average at mid-mountain.

Zugspitze in January

Best all round

By January the base is close to its February peak, averaging 77cm. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 73cm of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 0.9 powder days. Average highs are -10°C and lows -19°C, with 5.6 hours of sunshine a day and 2.2 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 1.9 on average at mid-mountain. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Zugspitze.

Zugspitze in February

Deepest base

February is when the base at Zugspitze is at its deepest, averaging 96cm through the month and peaking around 109cm in a typical year. It brings 49cm of new snow in an average year, with 9 snow days and 0.6 powder days. Average highs are -8°C and lows -17°C, with 6.8 hours of sunshine a day and 2 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 2.4 on average at mid-mountain.

Zugspitze in March

Still deep

March still has a deep base, averaging 93cm — only a little down on the February peak. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 52cm of new snow on average, 11 snow days and 0.2 powder days. Average highs are -5°C and lows -14°C, with 8.1 hours of sunshine a day and 1.7 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 5.1 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average March.

Zugspitze in April

Late season

In April the base averages 64cm, past its February peak of 96cm and thinning. It brings 34cm of new snow in an average year, with 7 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are -1°C and lows -11°C, with 9.7 hours of sunshine a day and 1.2 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 8.4 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average April.

How Zugspitze compares with nearby resorts

Of Zugspitze and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Zugspitze ranks 3 of 5 for snowfall, with 341cm a season. Wank and Garmisch-Partenkirchen get more; Seefeld and Innsbruck get less.

Zugspitze has the most powder days of the group (3 a season); Zugspitze builds the deepest base (120cm at its peak); and Wank gets the most bluebird days (13 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 Zugspitze and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Zugspitze—2962m341cm120cm312
Wank11 km1780m353cm108cm313
Garmisch-Partenkirchen13 km1835m347cm108cm313
Seefeld, Austria18 km1640m289cm119cm29
Innsbruck, Austria34 km1887m328cm117cm311

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

More on Zugspitze

Ski resorts near Zugspitze

Distances are straight-line, not by road.