Donovaly snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Banská Bystrica, Slovakia · 3,150ft to 5,906ft

Over the last 10 seasons Donovaly, Slovakia has averaged 73in of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 19in, 1 powder day and 3 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around January 19 to February 22.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Donovaly

73 in
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
19 in
Peak depth
typical season high
1
Powder days
6in+ in a day
3
Bluebird days
sun after snow
54
Rain days
0.04in+ of rain
43
Skiable days
12in+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Donovaly, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan18 in11 in0.7in3.5 h25° / 15°0.10.43.9
Feb14 in12 in1.3in4.8 h29° / 18°0.10.45.5
Mar8 in6 in1.3in7.5 h37° / 22°0.00.36.9
Apr5 in1 in2.1in9.1 h45° / 29°0.00.19.5
May1 in0 in4.4in10.3 h52° / 37°0.00.116.3
Jun0 in0 in4.5in12.3 h62° / 47°0.00.015.6
Jul0 in0 in4.2in12.3 h64° / 48°0.00.016.3
Aug0 in0 in4.2in11.4 h65° / 50°0.00.013.9
Sep0 in0 in3.9in8.7 h56° / 42°0.00.011.7
Oct3 in0 in3.2in6.2 h45° / 33°0.20.011.5
Nov9 in1 in2.3in4.2 h35° / 26°0.20.58.5
Dec19 in7 in0.7in2.8 h28° / 18°0.20.73.8

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
2025/2654 in11 in120
2024/25leanest37 in9 in000
2023/2476 in28 in1070
2022/2382 in23 in1437
2021/2282 in24 in0371
2020/2174 in18 in1133
2019/2066 in7 in110
2018/1990 in29 in0488
2017/18best104 in20 in1677
2016/1767 in19 in0451
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 4,528ft, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Donovaly 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
below average
73 in
Ahead of 25% of resortsMedian 111 in

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
well below average
19 in
Ahead of 10% of resortsMedian 33 in

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
below average
1
Ahead of 35% of resortsMedian 2

Days with 6in or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
below average
3
Ahead of 25% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
well above average
54
Drier than 17% of resortsMedian 32

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

Skiable days
well below average
43
Ahead of 23% of resortsMedian 115

Days holding 12in or more of settled snow.

The season at Donovaly

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

SepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
January 19
Season ends
February 22
Days of cover
35 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
12in average depth
Most new snow
December
19in and 0.2 powder days
Best bluebird odds
December
0.7 bluebird days, 2.8h sun a day
Wettest month
May
16.3 rain days

Is Donovaly a good place to ski or board?

snowfall is on the light sidethe base does not get especially deepit sees more rain than mostthe season is shorter than average

On 10 years of record, Donovaly is a mixed picture: snowfall is on the light side, the base does not get especially deep, it sees more rain than most and the season is shorter than average. It can still ski well in a good year — 2017/18 produced 104in — but the averages argue for flexibility on timing.

Figures are modelled at 4,528ft from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Donovaly snow record in detail

How much snow does Donovaly get?

Donovaly averages 73in of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is below average: more snow than 25% 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 104in, and the leanest was 2024/25 with 37in — a difference of 67in between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 54in.

December is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 19in and 11 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Donovaly?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Donovaly the snowpack peaks at an average of 19in each season. That is well below average, deeper than 10% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 33in.

The base is deepest in February, averaging 12in through the month and topping out around 17in in a typical year.

How many powder days does Donovaly get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 6in of new snow, Donovaly averages 1 powder day a season. That is below average, more powder days than 35% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median is 2 a season.

December has the most, 0.2 on average.

How often does Donovaly get bluebird days?

Donovaly averages 3 bluebird days a season — days of sunshine for at least 60% of daylight after 4in or more of fresh snow. That is below average, more than 25% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 10.

December is the best month for it, averaging 0.7 bluebird days and 2.8 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Donovaly?

At mid-mountain Donovaly sees an average of 54 days a season with 0.04in or more of rain rather than snow. That is well above average: 83% 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 16.3 rain days and 4.4in on average.

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

Donovaly typically holds at least 12in of settled snow from around January 19 through to February 22, which works out at roughly 35 days of skiable cover in an average year. 43 of those fall inside the November to May season. On season length that is well below average compared with the 40 other resorts we have analysed the same way.

For the deepest base, go in February; 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 Donovaly are taken at 4,528ft. Corpus last rebuilt September 2, 2026.

Donovaly 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.

Donovaly in November

Too early

In November cover at mid-mountain is usually too thin to rely on, averaging 1in through the month. It brings 9in of new snow in an average year, with 5 snow days and 0.2 powder days. Average highs are 35°F and lows 26°F, with 4.2 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is a real risk: 8.5 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average November.

Donovaly in December

Early and thin

December is the start of the season at Donovaly: the base averages 7in, which is skiable in a good year but patchy in a poor one. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 19in of new snow on average, 11 snow days and 0.2 powder days. Average highs are 28°F and lows 18°F, with 2.8 hours of sunshine a day. Expect the odd wet day — 3.8 on average at mid-mountain.

Donovaly in January

Early and thin

January is the start of the season at Donovaly: the base averages 11in, which is skiable in a good year but patchy in a poor one. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 18in of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are 25°F and lows 15°F, with 3.5 hours of sunshine a day. Expect the odd wet day — 3.9 on average at mid-mountain.

Donovaly in February

Deepest base

February is when the base at Donovaly is at its deepest, averaging 12in through the month and peaking around 17in in a typical year. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 13in of new snow on average, 8 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are 29°F and lows 18°F, with 4.8 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is a real risk: 5.5 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average February.

Donovaly in March

Season over

By March the snow at mid-mountain has usually gone, with an average depth of just 6in. It brings 8in of new snow in an average year, with 5 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 37°F and lows 22°F, with 7.5 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is a real risk: 6.9 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average March.

Donovaly in April

Season over

By April the snow at mid-mountain has usually gone, with an average depth of just 1in. It brings 5in of new snow in an average year, with 3 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 45°F and lows 29°F, with 9.1 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is a real risk: 9.5 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average April.

How Donovaly compares with nearby resorts

Of Donovaly and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Donovaly ranks 4 of 5 for snowfall, with 73in a season. Štrbské Pleso, Kasprowy Wierch and Zakopane get more; Jasná gets less.

Kasprowy Wierch has the most powder days (3 a season, against 1 here); Kasprowy Wierch builds the deepest base (31in against 19in); and Kasprowy Wierch gets the most bluebird days (11 a season).

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 Donovaly and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Donovaly—4,528ft73in19in13
Jasná24 mi4,879ft62in24in02
Štrbské Pleso42 mi5,545ft132in30in29
Kasprowy Wierch, Poland42 mi6,519ft143in31in311
Zakopane, Poland44 mi4,636ft135in29in29

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

More on Donovaly

Ski resorts near Donovaly

Distances are straight-line, not by road.