Alpe d'Huez snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Isère, France · 3,609ft to 10,925ft

Over the last 10 seasons Alpe d'Huez, France has averaged 258in of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 80in, 13 powder days and 30 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around November 20 to May 23.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Alpe d'Huez

258 in
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
80 in
Peak depth
typical season high
13
Powder days
6in+ in a day
30
Bluebird days
sun after snow
18
Rain days
0.04in+ of rain
189
Skiable days
12in+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Alpe d'Huez, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan46 in48 in0.1in6.3 h26° / 11°2.54.30.5
Feb31 in59 in0.1in7.7 h31° / 14°1.63.70.4
Mar42 in64 in0.1in8.9 h32° / 16°2.25.10.4
Apr25 in55 in0.3in10.7 h38° / 22°1.33.91.8
May22 in25 in1.7in11.2 h44° / 28°0.62.710.0
Jun1 in2 in3.8in13.0 h56° / 38°0.00.015.4
Jul0 in0 in3.1in13.8 h62° / 42°0.00.011.7
Aug1 in0 in3.7in12.2 h62° / 42°0.10.211.2
Sep4 in0 in2.9in10.4 h54° / 35°0.10.19.8
Oct12 in1 in3.6in8.3 h46° / 29°0.51.110.0
Nov36 in11 in1.3in6.5 h33° / 17°1.24.53.7
Dec57 in33 in0.3in5.9 h28° / 14°3.25.91.5

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
2025/26253 in115 in1334197
2024/25232 in79 in1124178
2023/24307 in78 in1433211
2022/23244 in52 in1033175
2021/22204 in56 in1026164
2020/21244 in65 in831178
2019/20312 in98 in1833196
2018/19241 in81 in1427197
2017/18best369 in100 in2137199
2016/17leanest175 in70 in723195
How these numbers are calculated
  • Powder day — at least 6in of new snow in 24 hours.
  • Bluebird day — sunshine for at least 60% of daylight, following at least 4in of snow over the previous 3 days.
  • Rain day — at least 0.04in of rain (not snow) at this elevation.
  • Skiable day — at least 12in of settled snow on the ground.
  • Snow depth is modelled from Open-Meteo / ERA5 reanalysis at 7,267ft, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Alpe d'Huez 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
among the very best we track
258 in
Ahead of 95% of resortsMedian 111 in

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
among the very best we track
80 in
Ahead of 90% of resortsMedian 33 in

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
among the very best we track
13
Ahead of 98% of resortsMedian 2

Days with 6in or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
among the very best we track
30
Ahead of 98% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
well below average
18
Drier than 80% of resortsMedian 32

Days with 0.04in or more of rain, not snow.

Skiable days
well above average
189
Ahead of 88% of resortsMedian 115

Days holding 12in or more of settled snow.

The season at Alpe d'Huez

Typical stretch holding 12in or more of settled snow, averaged over the record.

SepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
November 20
Season ends
May 23
Days of cover
186 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
March
64in average depth
Most new snow
December
57in and 3.2 powder days
Best bluebird odds
December
5.9 bluebird days, 5.9h sun a day
Wettest month
May
10.0 rain days

Is Alpe d'Huez a good place to ski or board?

heavy snowfalla deep, reliable basefrequent powder daysplenty of bluebird daysvery little raina long season

On 10 years of record, Alpe d'Huez stands out for heavy snowfall, a deep, reliable base, frequent powder days, plenty of bluebird days, very little rain and a long season.

Figures are modelled at 7,267ft from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Alpe d'Huez snow record in detail

How much snow does Alpe d'Huez get?

Alpe d'Huez averages 258in of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is among the very best we track: more snow than 95% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median season brings 111in.

Season to season the spread is wide. The best of the last 10 winters was 2017/18 with 369in, and the leanest was 2016/17 with 175in — a difference of 195in between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 253in.

December is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 57in and 12 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Alpe d'Huez?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Alpe d'Huez the snowpack peaks at an average of 80in each season. That is among the very best we track, deeper than 90% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 33in.

The base is deepest in March, averaging 64in through the month and topping out around 74in in a typical year.

How many powder days does Alpe d'Huez get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 6in of new snow, Alpe d'Huez averages 13 powder days a season. That is among the very best we track, more powder days than 98% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median is 2 a season.

December has the most, 3.2 on average.

How often does Alpe d'Huez get bluebird days?

Alpe d'Huez averages 30 bluebird days a season — days of sunshine for at least 60% of daylight after 4in or more of fresh snow. That is among the very best we track, more than 98% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 10.

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

Does it rain at Alpe d'Huez?

At mid-mountain Alpe d'Huez sees an average of 18 days a season with 0.04in or more of rain rather than snow. That is well below average: 20% 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 10.0 rain days and 1.7in on average.

When is the best time to ski or board Alpe d'Huez, and when does the season end?

Alpe d'Huez typically holds at least 12in of settled snow from around November 20 through to May 23, which works out at roughly 186 days of skiable cover in an average year. 189 of those fall inside the November to May season. On season length that is well above average compared with the 40 other resorts we have analysed the same way.

For the deepest base, go in March; for the most new snow, December; for fresh snow with sunshine, December.

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 Alpe d'Huez are taken at 7,267ft. Corpus last rebuilt September 2, 2026.

Alpe d'Huez 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.

Alpe d'Huez in November

Early and thin

November is the start of the season at Alpe d'Huez: the base averages 11in, which is skiable in a good year but patchy in a poor one. It brings 36in of new snow in an average year, with 11 snow days and 1.2 powder days. Average highs are 33°F and lows 17°F, with 6.5 hours of sunshine a day and 4.5 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 3.7 on average at mid-mountain.

Alpe d'Huez in December

Base building

December is when the base starts to build, averaging 33in and deepening towards its March peak. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 57in of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 3.2 powder days. Average highs are 28°F and lows 14°F, with 5.9 hours of sunshine a day and 5.9 bluebird days, the most of any month. Expect the odd wet day — 1.5 on average at mid-mountain.

Alpe d'Huez in January

Base building

Through January the base keeps building, to an average of 48in. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 46in of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 2.5 powder days. Average highs are 26°F and lows 11°F, with 6.3 hours of sunshine a day and 4.3 bluebird days. Rain is rare: under two days in a typical January.

Alpe d'Huez in February

Base building

By February the base is close to its March peak, averaging 59in. It brings 31in of new snow in an average year, with 9 snow days and 1.6 powder days. Average highs are 31°F and lows 14°F, with 7.7 hours of sunshine a day and 3.7 bluebird days.

Alpe d'Huez in March

Best all round

March is when the base at Alpe d'Huez is at its deepest, averaging 65in through the month and peaking around 74in in a typical year. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 42in of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 2.2 powder days. Average highs are 32°F and lows 16°F, with 8.9 hours of sunshine a day and 5.1 bluebird days. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Alpe d'Huez.

Alpe d'Huez in April

Still deep

April still has a deep base, averaging 55in — only a little down on the March peak. It brings 25in of new snow in an average year, with 9 snow days and 1.3 powder days. Average highs are 38°F and lows 22°F, with 10.7 hours of sunshine a day and 3.9 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 1.8 on average at mid-mountain.

Alpe d'Huez in May

Late season

In May the base averages 25in, past its March peak of 65in and thinning. It brings 22in of new snow in an average year, with 8 snow days and 0.6 powder days. Average highs are 44°F and lows 28°F, with 11.2 hours of sunshine a day and 2.7 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 10 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average May.

How Alpe d'Huez compares with nearby resorts

Of Alpe d'Huez and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Alpe d'Huez ranks first for snowfall, with 258in a season. Every one of its neighbours gets less.

Alpe d'Huez has the most powder days of the group (13 a season); Val Thorens builds the deepest base (84in against 80in); and Alpe d'Huez also gets the most bluebird days.

Each resort is measured at its own mid-mountain height, so part of any difference is altitude: a resort modelled 1,640ft higher will usually hold more snow. The table shows the height each figure comes from.

Ten-year snow averages for Alpe d'Huez and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Alpe d'Huez—7,267ft258in80in1330
Les Deux Alpes5 mi8,038ft258in77in1330
Serre Chevalier26 mi6,562ft189in75in823
Val Thorens29 mi9,072ft231in84in926
Valmorel30 mi6,480ft222in72in1024

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

More on Alpe d'Huez

Ski resorts near Alpe d'Huez

Distances are straight-line, not by road.