Best ski resorts in December for powder & backcountry

Ranked on what actually fell, not on marketing copy. Chamonix comes out on top for powder skiing and snowboarding in December: 3.7 powder days and 59in of snow in an average December.

  1. 1

    Chamonix

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

    100
    match score

    Chamonix in December: 3.7 powder days and 59in of snow in an average December.

    Powder days
    3.7 in December
    Snowfall
    59in
    Advanced terrain
    60%
    Documented off-piste
    9 zones
    Snow history9 off-piste zones
  2. 2

    Whistler Blackcomb

    British Columbia, Canada · 2,215ft – 7,493ft

    89
    match score

    Whistler Blackcomb in December: 3.4 powder days and 67in of snow in an average December.

    Powder days
    3.4 in December
    Snowfall
    67in
    Advanced terrain
    25%
    Documented off-piste
    3 zones
    Snow history3 off-piste zones
  3. 3

    Les Deux Alpes

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

    85
    match score

    Les Deux Alpes in December: 3.2 powder days and 57in of snow in an average December.

    Powder days
    3.2 in December
    Snowfall
    57in
    Advanced terrain
    35%
    Documented off-piste
    4 zones
    Snow history4 off-piste zones
  4. 4

    Alpe d'Huez

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

    82
    match score

    Alpe d'Huez in December: 3.2 powder days and 57in of snow in an average December.

    Powder days
    3.2 in December
    Snowfall
    57in
    Advanced terrain
    25%
    Documented off-piste
    3 zones
    Snow history3 off-piste zones
  5. 5

    Méribel

    Savoie, France · 3,609ft – 9,685ft

    79
    match score

    Méribel in December: 2.8 powder days and 48in of snow in an average December.

    Powder days
    2.8 in December
    Snowfall
    48in
    Advanced terrain
    46%
    Documented off-piste
    5 zones
    Snow history5 off-piste zones
  6. 6

    Les Arcs

    Savoie, France · 3,937ft – 10,584ft

    78
    match score

    Les Arcs in December: 3.1 powder days and 56in of snow in an average December.

    Powder days
    3.1 in December
    Snowfall
    56in
    Advanced terrain
    20%
    Documented off-piste
    4 zones
    Snow history4 off-piste zones
  7. 7

    Tignes

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

    78
    match score

    Tignes in December: 2.9 powder days and 51in of snow in an average December.

    Powder days
    2.9 in December
    Snowfall
    51in
    Advanced terrain
    35%
    Documented off-piste
    4 zones
    Snow history4 off-piste zones
  8. 8

    Val d'Isère

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

    78
    match score

    Val d'Isère in December: 2.9 powder days and 51in of snow in an average December.

    Powder days
    2.9 in December
    Snowfall
    51in
    Advanced terrain
    35%
    Documented off-piste
    7 zones
    Snow history7 off-piste zones
  9. 9

    Val Thorens

    Savoie, France · 7,546ft – 10,597ft

    77
    match score

    Val Thorens in December: 2.7 powder days and 48in of snow in an average December.

    Powder days
    2.7 in December
    Snowfall
    48in
    Advanced terrain
    46%
    Documented off-piste
    4 zones
    Snow history4 off-piste zones
  10. 10

    Courchevel

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

    73
    match score

    Courchevel in December: 2.4 powder days and 48in of snow in an average December.

    Powder days
    2.4 in December
    Snowfall
    48in
    Advanced terrain
    46%
    Documented off-piste
    5 zones
    Snow history5 off-piste zones

Other months and trip styles

Powder & backcountry in another month

NovemberJanuaryFebruaryMarchApril

A different kind of trip in December

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.