Chamonix snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Haute-Savoie, France · 3,396ft to 12,605ft

Over the last 10 seasons Chamonix, France has averaged 282in of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 112in, 14 powder days and 33 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around November 11 to June 11.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Chamonix

282 in
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
112 in
Peak depth
typical season high
14
Powder days
6in+ in a day
33
Bluebird days
sun after snow
14
Rain days
0.04in+ of rain
200
Skiable days
12in+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Chamonix, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan53 in72 in0.1in6.3 h22° / 10°3.05.80.4
Feb37 in82 in0.1in7.5 h27° / 13°1.84.50.5
Mar42 in90 in0.1in8.7 h28° / 15°1.64.90.5
Apr26 in85 in0.2in10.6 h34° / 20°0.84.41.3
May26 in65 in1.4in11.2 h40° / 27°0.83.77.6
Jun2 in15 in3.3in12.9 h52° / 37°0.00.116.5
Jul0 in0 in3.1in13.4 h56° / 41°0.00.014.3
Aug1 in0 in3.5in12.0 h56° / 41°0.10.114.2
Sep7 in0 in2.8in10.0 h49° / 34°0.30.410.7
Oct17 in3 in2.9in8.0 h42° / 28°0.91.79.5
Nov41 in20 in0.7in6.3 h29° / 16°2.25.02.7
Dec59 in51 in0.2in5.7 h26° / 13°3.75.01.0

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
2025/26236 in121 in1031212
2024/25239 in112 in1326193
2023/24351 in115 in1844212
2022/23270 in96 in936192
2021/22233 in91 in1031187
2020/21288 in98 in1234178
2019/20324 in136 in2333209
2018/19289 in117 in1439208
2017/18best388 in141 in2235202
2016/17leanest205 in91 in824204
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 8,002ft, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Chamonix 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
among the very best we track
282 in
Ahead of 97% of resortsMedian 107 in

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
among the very best we track
112 in
Ahead of 97% of resortsMedian 33 in

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
among the very best we track
14
Top of every resort we compareMedian 2

Days with 6in or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
among the very best we track
33
Top of every resort we compareMedian 9

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
well below average
14
Drier than 90% of resortsMedian 32

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

Skiable days
among the very best we track
200
Ahead of 95% of resortsMedian 114

Days holding 12in or more of settled snow.

The season at Chamonix

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

SepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
November 11
Season ends
June 11
Days of cover
214 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
90in average depth
Most new snow
December
59in and 3.7 powder days
Best bluebird odds
January
5.8 bluebird days, 6.3h sun a day
Wettest month
May
7.6 rain days

Is Chamonix 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, Chamonix 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 8,002ft from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Chamonix snow record in detail

How much snow does Chamonix get?

Chamonix averages 282in 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 97% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median season brings 107in.

Season to season the spread is wide. The best of the last 10 winters was 2017/18 with 388in, and the leanest was 2016/17 with 205in — a difference of 184in between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 236in.

December is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 59in and 13 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Chamonix?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Chamonix the snowpack peaks at an average of 112in each season. That is among the very best we track, deeper than 97% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 33in.

The base is deepest in March, averaging 90in through the month and topping out around 104in in a typical year.

How many powder days does Chamonix get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 6in of new snow, Chamonix averages 14 powder days a season. That is among the very best we track, more powder days than more than any other resort in the set, where the median is 2 a season.

December has the most, 3.7 on average.

How often does Chamonix get bluebird days?

Chamonix averages 33 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 more than any other resort in the set, against a median of 9.

January is the best month for it, averaging 5.8 bluebird days and 6.3 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Chamonix?

At mid-mountain Chamonix sees an average of 14 days a season with 0.04in or more of rain rather than snow. That is well below average: 10% 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 7.6 rain days and 1.4in on average.

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

Chamonix typically holds at least 12in of settled snow from around November 11 through to June 11, which works out at roughly 214 days of skiable cover in an average year. 200 of those fall inside the November to May season. On season length that is among the very best we track compared with the 39 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, January.

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 Chamonix are taken at 8,002ft. Corpus last rebuilt September 2, 2026.

Chamonix 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.

Chamonix in November

Base building

November is when the base starts to build, averaging 20in and deepening towards its March peak. It brings 41in of new snow in an average year, with 13 snow days and 2.2 powder days. Average highs are 29°F and lows 16°F, with 6.3 hours of sunshine a day and 5 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 2.7 on average at mid-mountain.

Chamonix in December

Base building

Through December the base keeps building, to an average of 51in. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 59in of new snow on average, 13 snow days and 3.7 powder days. Average highs are 26°F and lows 13°F, with 5.7 hours of sunshine a day and 5 bluebird days. Rain is rare: under two days in a typical December.

Chamonix in January

Best all round

Through January the base keeps building, to an average of 72in. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 53in of new snow on average, 13 snow days and 3 powder days. Average highs are 22°F and lows 10°F, with 6.3 hours of sunshine a day and 5.8 bluebird days, the most of any month. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Chamonix.

Chamonix in February

Base building

By February the base is close to its March peak, averaging 82in. It brings 37in of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and 1.8 powder days. Average highs are 27°F and lows 13°F, with 7.5 hours of sunshine a day and 4.5 bluebird days.

Chamonix in March

Deepest base

March is when the base at Chamonix is at its deepest, averaging 90in through the month and peaking around 104in in a typical year. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 42in of new snow on average, 13 snow days and 1.6 powder days. Average highs are 28°F and lows 15°F, with 8.7 hours of sunshine a day and 4.9 bluebird days.

Chamonix in April

Still deep

April still has a deep base, averaging 85in — only a little down on the March peak. It brings 26in of new snow in an average year, with 9 snow days and 0.8 powder days. Average highs are 34°F and lows 20°F, with 10.6 hours of sunshine a day and 4.4 bluebird days.

Chamonix in May

Late season

In May the base averages 65in, past its March peak of 90in and thinning. It brings 26in of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and 0.8 powder days. Average highs are 40°F and lows 27°F, with 11.2 hours of sunshine a day and 3.7 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 7.6 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average May.

How Chamonix compares with nearby resorts

Of Chamonix and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Chamonix ranks first for snowfall, with 282in a season. Every one of its neighbours gets less.

Chamonix has the most powder days of the group (14 a season); Chamonix builds the deepest base (112in at its peak); and Chamonix 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 Chamonix and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Chamonix—8,002ft282in112in1433
Flaine10 mi6,726ft253in106in1131
Courmayeur, Italy11 mi6,529ft269in100in1330
La Thuile, Italy15 mi6,696ft269in92in1330
Avoriaz19 mi6,998ft208in65in923

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

More on Chamonix

Ski resorts near Chamonix

Distances are straight-line, not by road.