Best ski resorts in April for powder & backcountry

Ranked on what actually fell, not on marketing copy. Zermatt comes out on top for powder skiing and snowboarding in April: 1.1 powder days and 30in of snow in an average April.

  1. 1

    Zermatt

    Valais, Switzerland · 5,315ft – 12,792ft

    100
    match score

    Zermatt in April: 1.1 powder days and 30in of snow in an average April.

    Powder days
    1.1 in April
    Snowfall
    30in
    Advanced terrain
    45%
    Documented off-piste
    2 zones
    Snow history2 off-piste zones
  2. 2

    Les Deux Alpes

    Isère, France · 4,265ft – 11,811ft

    99
    match score

    Les Deux Alpes in April: 1.3 powder days and 25in of snow in an average April.

    Powder days
    1.3 in April
    Snowfall
    25in
    Advanced terrain
    35%
    Documented off-piste
    4 zones
    Snow history4 off-piste zones
  3. 3

    Alpe d'Huez

    Isère, France · 3,609ft – 10,925ft

    95
    match score

    Alpe d'Huez in April: 1.3 powder days and 25in of snow in an average April.

    Powder days
    1.3 in April
    Snowfall
    25in
    Advanced terrain
    25%
    Documented off-piste
    3 zones
    Snow history3 off-piste zones
  4. 4

    Chamonix

    Haute-Savoie, France · 3,396ft – 12,605ft

    89
    match score

    Chamonix in April: 0.8 powder days and 26in of snow in an average April.

    Powder days
    0.8 in April
    Snowfall
    26in
    Advanced terrain
    60%
    Documented off-piste
    9 zones
    Snow history9 off-piste zones
  5. 5

    Mürren

    Bern, Switzerland · 5,413ft – 9,744ft

    84
    match score

    Mürren in April: 1 powder days and 29in of snow in an average April.

    Powder days
    1 in April
    Snowfall
    29in
    Advanced terrain
    45%
    Snow history
  6. 6

    Tignes

    Savoie, France · 5,085ft – 11,339ft

    77
    match score

    Tignes in April: 0.7 powder days and 26in of snow in an average April.

    Powder days
    0.7 in April
    Snowfall
    26in
    Advanced terrain
    35%
    Documented off-piste
    4 zones
    Snow history4 off-piste zones
  7. 7

    Val d'Isère

    Savoie, France · 6,070ft – 11,339ft

    77
    match score

    Val d'Isère in April: 0.7 powder days and 26in of snow in an average April.

    Powder days
    0.7 in April
    Snowfall
    26in
    Advanced terrain
    35%
    Documented off-piste
    7 zones
    Snow history7 off-piste zones
  8. 8

    Courchevel

    Savoie, France · 3,609ft – 8,983ft

    73
    match score

    Courchevel in April: 0.7 powder days and 20in of snow in an average April.

    Powder days
    0.7 in April
    Snowfall
    20in
    Advanced terrain
    46%
    Documented off-piste
    5 zones
    Snow history5 off-piste zones
  9. 9

    Adelboden

    Bern, Switzerland · 4,429ft – 7,710ft

    71
    match score

    Adelboden in April: 0.9 powder days and 25in of snow in an average April.

    Powder days
    0.9 in April
    Snowfall
    25in
    Advanced terrain
    30%
    Snow history
  10. 10

    Cortina d'Ampezzo

    Veneto, Italy · 4,016ft – 9,629ft

    70
    match score

    Cortina d'Ampezzo in April: 1.1 powder days and 21in of snow in an average April.

    Powder days
    1.1 in April
    Snowfall
    21in
    Advanced terrain
    20%
    Snow history

Other months and trip styles

Powder & backcountry in another month

NovemberDecemberJanuaryFebruaryMarch

A different kind of trip in April

FamilyAprès & nightlifeSunshine & bluebirdSnow-sureFirst-timers

How this ranking is built

Powder days and snowfall in your month, plus whether we have documented off-piste zones.

Snow figures come from the same ten-year ERA5 record shown on each resort's snow history page, measured at mid-mountain height. Terrain splits come from each resort's own trail breakdown. Scores are relative to the other resorts searched, not absolute quality marks.

We ranked 48 resorts with a full climate record, out of 253 on the site, against a benchmark of 40 resorts across 18 countries. A resort without a record is left out rather than guessed at. Search it yourself.