Hemsedal snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Buskerud, Norway · 2,051ft to 4,921ft

Over the last 10 seasons Hemsedal, Norway has averaged 111in of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 58in, 0 powder days and 6 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around November 12 to May 26.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Hemsedal

111 in
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
58 in
Peak depth
typical season high
0
Powder days
6in+ in a day
6
Bluebird days
sun after snow
17
Rain days
0.04in+ of rain
190
Skiable days
12in+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Hemsedal, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan20 in41 in0.2in2.7 h21° / 10°0.01.20.7
Feb17 in48 in0.1in4.8 h23° / 11°0.01.20.4
Mar17 in51 in0.2in6.8 h28° / 16°0.11.10.8
Apr12 in47 in0.3in10.1 h36° / 22°0.01.01.5
May6 in29 in1.8in11.8 h47° / 31°0.00.38.1
Jun1 in3 in4.2in12.7 h57° / 42°0.00.014.7
Jul0 in0 in5in12.4 h60° / 45°0.00.015.5
Aug0 in0 in5.1in9.8 h56° / 42°0.00.016.6
Sep2 in0 in5in6.9 h49° / 38°0.00.014.7
Oct12 in3 in2.6in4.7 h38° / 29°0.30.29.4
Nov18 in14 in0.8in2.8 h28° / 19°0.10.83.8
Dec22 in28 in0.4in1.7 h24° / 14°0.10.72.0

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
2025/2696 in34 in06144
2024/2591 in46 in07155
2023/24119 in63 in16204
2022/23141 in69 in07190
2021/22leanest77 in50 in01178
2020/21117 in62 in05206
2019/20best141 in76 in013205
2018/19109 in61 in17205
2017/18123 in68 in15206
2016/1793 in52 in06208
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 3,488ft, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Hemsedal 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
about average
111 in
Ahead of 50% of resortsMedian 111 in

Total new snow between November and May.

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

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
well below average
0
Lowest of every resort we compareMedian 2

Days with 6in or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
below average
6
Ahead of 35% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
well below average
17
Drier than 80% of resortsMedian 32

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

Skiable days
well above average
190
Ahead of 88% of resortsMedian 115

Days holding 12in or more of settled snow.

The season at Hemsedal

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

SepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
November 12
Season ends
May 26
Days of cover
197 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
51in average depth
Most new snow
December
22in and 0.1 powder days
Best bluebird odds
January
1.2 bluebird days, 2.7h sun a day
Wettest month
May
8.1 rain days

Is Hemsedal a good place to ski or board?

a deep, reliable basevery little raina long season

On 10 years of record, Hemsedal stands out for a deep, reliable base, very little rain and a long season.

Figures are modelled at 3,488ft from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Hemsedal snow record in detail

How much snow does Hemsedal get?

Hemsedal averages 111in of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is about average: more snow than 50% 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 2019/20 with 141in, and the leanest was 2021/22 with 77in — a difference of 64in between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 96in.

December is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 22in and 13 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Hemsedal?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Hemsedal the snowpack peaks at an average of 58in 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 51in through the month and topping out around 56in in a typical year.

How many powder days does Hemsedal get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 6in of new snow, Hemsedal averages 0 powder days a season. That is well below average, more powder days than fewer than every other resort in the set, where the median is 2 a season.

December has the most, 0.1 on average.

How often does Hemsedal get bluebird days?

Hemsedal averages 6 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 35% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 10.

January is the best month for it, averaging 1.2 bluebird days and 2.7 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Hemsedal?

At mid-mountain Hemsedal sees an average of 17 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 8.1 rain days and 1.8in on average.

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

Hemsedal typically holds at least 12in of settled snow from around November 12 through to May 26, which works out at roughly 197 days of skiable cover in an average year. 190 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, January.

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 Hemsedal are taken at 3,488ft. Corpus last rebuilt September 2, 2026.

Hemsedal 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.

Hemsedal in November

Base building

November is when the base starts to build, averaging 14in and deepening towards its March peak. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 18in of new snow on average, 10 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are 28°F and lows 19°F, with 2.8 hours of sunshine a day. Expect the odd wet day — 3.8 on average at mid-mountain.

Hemsedal in December

Base building

Through December the base keeps building, to an average of 28in. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 22in of new snow on average, 13 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are 24°F and lows 14°F, with 1.7 hours of sunshine a day. Expect the odd wet day — 2 on average at mid-mountain.

Hemsedal in January

Base building

Through January the base keeps building, to an average of 41in. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 20in of new snow on average, 11 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 21°F and lows 10°F, with 2.7 hours of sunshine a day and 1.2 bluebird days, the most of any month. Rain is rare: under two days in a typical January.

Hemsedal in February

Best all round

By February the base is close to its March peak, averaging 48in. It brings 17in of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 23°F and lows 11°F, with 4.8 hours of sunshine a day and 1.2 bluebird days. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Hemsedal.

Hemsedal in March

Deepest base

March is when the base at Hemsedal is at its deepest, averaging 51in through the month and peaking around 56in in a typical year. It brings 17in of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are 28°F and lows 16°F, with 6.8 hours of sunshine a day and 1.1 bluebird days.

Hemsedal in April

Still deep

April still has a deep base, averaging 47in — only a little down on the March peak. It brings 12in of new snow in an average year, with 7 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 36°F and lows 22°F, with 10.1 hours of sunshine a day and 1 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 1.5 on average at mid-mountain.

Hemsedal in May

Late season

In May the base averages 30in, past its March peak of 51in and thinning. It brings 6in of new snow in an average year, with 4 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 47°F and lows 31°F, with 11.8 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is a real risk: 8.1 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average May.

How Hemsedal compares with nearby resorts

Of Hemsedal and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Hemsedal ranks 2 of 5 for snowfall, with 111in a season. Myrkdalen gets more; Geilo, Beitostølen and Skeikampen get less.

Myrkdalen has the most powder days (10 a season, against 0 here); Myrkdalen builds the deepest base (99in against 58in); and Myrkdalen gets the most bluebird days (8 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 Hemsedal and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Hemsedal—3,488ft111in58in06
Geilo26 mi3,245ft97in49in05
Beitostølen29 mi3,281ft107in57in06
Skeikampen45 mi3,156ft81in44in02
Myrkdalen58 mi2,867ft246in99in108

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

More on Hemsedal

Ski resorts near Hemsedal

Distances are straight-line, not by road.