Gstaad snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Bern, Switzerland · 3,445ft to 6,562ft

Over the last 10 seasons Gstaad, Switzerland has averaged 180in of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 73in, 5 powder days and 21 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around November 25 to May 18.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Gstaad

180 in
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
73 in
Peak depth
typical season high
5
Powder days
6in+ in a day
21
Bluebird days
sun after snow
47
Rain days
0.04in+ of rain
174
Skiable days
12in+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Gstaad, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan36 in43 in0.8in5.7 h32° / 17°1.33.73.1
Feb26 in55 in0.6in7.0 h37° / 21°0.53.92.6
Mar30 in59 in0.7in8.1 h40° / 23°0.83.44.0
Apr18 in51 in1.4in10.0 h45° / 28°0.42.67.4
May10 in22 in5.4in10.2 h52° / 34°0.01.419.3
Jun0 in2 in7.1in12.1 h63° / 45°0.00.020.7
Jul0 in0 in6.4in12.5 h65° / 48°0.00.018.1
Aug0 in0 in6.1in11.3 h66° / 48°0.00.017.8
Sep2 in0 in4.9in9.4 h58° / 41°0.00.016.0
Oct5 in0 in4.1in7.7 h52° / 34°0.20.612.1
Nov26 in8 in2in5.9 h40° / 24°0.92.76.4
Dec35 in28 in1.6in5.2 h35° / 20°1.53.34.6

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
2025/26157 in88 in619136
2024/25157 in59 in811172
2023/24205 in72 in524204
2022/23161 in52 in418163
2021/22171 in64 in516168
2020/21197 in78 in325174
2019/20174 in87 in728174
2018/19183 in78 in525174
2017/18best246 in96 in724193
2016/17leanest149 in59 in420178
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 5,003ft, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Gstaad 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
well above average
180 in
Ahead of 85% of resortsMedian 111 in

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
well above average
73 in
Ahead of 85% of resortsMedian 33 in

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
well above average
5
Ahead of 80% of resortsMedian 2

Days with 6in or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
well above average
21
Ahead of 88% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
above average
47
Drier than 35% of resortsMedian 32

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

Skiable days
well above average
174
Ahead of 85% of resortsMedian 115

Days holding 12in or more of settled snow.

The season at Gstaad

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

SepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
November 25
Season ends
May 18
Days of cover
176 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
59in average depth
Most new snow
January
36in and 1.3 powder days
Best bluebird odds
February
3.9 bluebird days, 7.0h sun a day
Wettest month
May
19.3 rain days

Is Gstaad a good place to ski or board?

heavy snowfalla deep, reliable basefrequent powder daysplenty of bluebird daysa long season

On 10 years of record, Gstaad stands out for heavy snowfall, a deep, reliable base, frequent powder days, plenty of bluebird days and a long season.

Figures are modelled at 5,003ft from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Gstaad snow record in detail

How much snow does Gstaad get?

Gstaad averages 180in of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is well above average: more snow than 85% 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 246in, and the leanest was 2016/17 with 149in — a difference of 97in between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 157in.

January is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 36in and 12 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Gstaad?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Gstaad the snowpack peaks at an average of 73in each season. That is well above average, deeper than 85% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 33in.

The base is deepest in March, averaging 59in through the month and topping out around 70in in a typical year.

How many powder days does Gstaad get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 6in of new snow, Gstaad averages 5 powder days a season. That is well above average, more powder days than 80% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median is 2 a season.

January has the most, 1.3 on average.

How often does Gstaad get bluebird days?

Gstaad averages 21 bluebird days a season — days of sunshine for at least 60% of daylight after 4in or more of fresh snow. That is well above average, more than 88% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 10.

February is the best month for it, averaging 3.9 bluebird days and 7.0 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Gstaad?

At mid-mountain Gstaad sees an average of 47 days a season with 0.04in or more of rain rather than snow. That is above average: 65% 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 19.3 rain days and 5.4in on average.

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

Gstaad typically holds at least 12in of settled snow from around November 25 through to May 18, which works out at roughly 176 days of skiable cover in an average year. 174 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, January; for fresh snow with sunshine, February.

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 Gstaad are taken at 5,003ft. Corpus last rebuilt September 2, 2026.

Gstaad 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.

Gstaad in November

Early and thin

November is the start of the season at Gstaad: the base averages 8in, which is skiable in a good year but patchy in a poor one. It brings 26in of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and 0.9 powder days. Average highs are 40°F and lows 24°F, with 5.9 hours of sunshine a day and 2.7 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 6.4 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average November.

Gstaad in December

Base building

December is when the base starts to build, averaging 28in and deepening towards its March peak. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 35in of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 1.5 powder days. Average highs are 35°F and lows 20°F, with 5.2 hours of sunshine a day and 3.3 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 4.6 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average December.

Gstaad in January

Base building

Through January the base keeps building, to an average of 43in. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 35in of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 1.3 powder days. Average highs are 32°F and lows 17°F, with 5.7 hours of sunshine a day and 3.7 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 3.1 on average at mid-mountain.

Gstaad in February

Best all round

By February the base is close to its March peak, averaging 55in. It brings 26in of new snow in an average year, with 9 snow days and 0.5 powder days. Average highs are 37°F and lows 21°F, with 7 hours of sunshine a day and 3.9 bluebird days, the most of any month. Expect the odd wet day — 2.6 on average at mid-mountain. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Gstaad.

Gstaad in March

Deepest base

March is when the base at Gstaad is at its deepest, averaging 59in through the month and peaking around 70in in a typical year. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 30in of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 0.8 powder days. Average highs are 40°F and lows 23°F, with 8.1 hours of sunshine a day and 3.4 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 4 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average March.

Gstaad in April

Still deep

April still has a deep base, averaging 51in — only a little down on the March peak. It brings 19in of new snow in an average year, with 7 snow days and 0.4 powder days. Average highs are 45°F and lows 28°F, with 10 hours of sunshine a day and 2.6 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 7.4 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average April.

Gstaad in May

Late season

In May the base averages 22in, past its March peak of 59in and thinning. It brings 9in of new snow in an average year, with 6 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 52°F and lows 34°F, with 10.2 hours of sunshine a day and 1.4 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 19.3 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average May.

How Gstaad compares with nearby resorts

Of Gstaad and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Gstaad ranks 2 of 5 for snowfall, with 180in a season. Adelboden gets more; Crans-Montana, Leysin and Villars get less.

Adelboden has the most powder days (9 a season, against 5 here); Adelboden builds the deepest base (101in against 73in); and Adelboden gets the most bluebird days (25 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 Gstaad and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Gstaad—5,003ft180in73in521
Adelboden14 mi6,070ft222in101in925
Crans-Montana15 mi7,382ft165in80in617
Leysin15 mi5,682ft169in61in620
Villars16 mi5,741ft151in67in519

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

More on Gstaad

Ski resorts near Gstaad

Distances are straight-line, not by road.