Les Arcs snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Savoie, France · 3,937ft to 10,584ft

Over the last 10 seasons Les Arcs, France has averaged 258in of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 92in, 12 powder days and 25 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around November 11 to June 6.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Les Arcs

258 in
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
92 in
Peak depth
typical season high
12
Powder days
6in+ in a day
25
Bluebird days
sun after snow
25
Rain days
0.04in+ of rain
196
Skiable days
12in+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Les Arcs, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan51 in61 in0.1in6.1 h25° / 9°2.84.10.7
Feb32 in70 in0.2in7.2 h31° / 13°1.43.60.8
Mar41 in76 in0.2in8.3 h33° / 16°1.74.51.1
Apr22 in70 in0.5in10.3 h38° / 21°0.52.93.7
May18 in48 in2.5in10.8 h45° / 28°0.52.013.7
Jun1 in9 in3.8in12.8 h58° / 38°0.00.116.6
Jul0 in0 in3.2in13.4 h61° / 42°0.00.014.8
Aug0 in0 in3.3in11.8 h61° / 41°0.00.013.6
Sep5 in0 in2.9in10.1 h53° / 35°0.20.211.9
Oct12 in2 in3in8.0 h46° / 28°0.30.810.1
Nov38 in16 in0.9in6.2 h33° / 16°1.83.33.1
Dec56 in43 in0.3in5.4 h27° / 12°3.14.21.9

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
2025/26leanest196 in90 in818189
2024/25210 in77 in1113193
2023/24309 in104 in1230212
2022/23243 in75 in922191
2021/22220 in75 in1121177
2020/21247 in76 in1026171
2019/20315 in122 in1828210
2018/19258 in96 in1032212
2017/18best377 in123 in2030201
2016/17209 in81 in926203
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 7,260ft, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Les Arcs 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
92 in
Ahead of 95% of resortsMedian 33 in

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
among the very best we track
12
Ahead of 95% of resortsMedian 2

Days with 6in or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
among the very best we track
25
Ahead of 98% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
below average
25
Drier than 67% of resortsMedian 32

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

Skiable days
among the very best we track
196
Ahead of 90% of resortsMedian 115

Days holding 12in or more of settled snow.

The season at Les Arcs

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

SepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
November 11
Season ends
June 6
Days of cover
209 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
76in average depth
Most new snow
December
56in and 3.1 powder days
Best bluebird odds
March
4.5 bluebird days, 8.3h sun a day
Wettest month
May
13.7 rain days

Is Les Arcs a good place to ski or board?

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

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

Figures are modelled at 7,260ft from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Les Arcs snow record in detail

How much snow does Les Arcs get?

Les Arcs 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 377in, and the leanest was 2025/26 with 196in — a difference of 181in between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 196in.

December is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 56in and 12 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Les Arcs?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Les Arcs the snowpack peaks at an average of 92in each season. That is among the very best we track, deeper than 95% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 33in.

The base is deepest in March, averaging 76in through the month and topping out around 87in in a typical year.

How many powder days does Les Arcs get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 6in of new snow, Les Arcs averages 12 powder days a season. That is among the very best we track, more powder days than 95% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median is 2 a season.

December has the most, 3.1 on average.

How often does Les Arcs get bluebird days?

Les Arcs averages 25 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.

March is the best month for it, averaging 4.5 bluebird days and 8.3 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Les Arcs?

At mid-mountain Les Arcs sees an average of 25 days a season with 0.04in or more of rain rather than snow. That is below average: 33% 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 13.7 rain days and 2.5in on average.

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

Les Arcs typically holds at least 12in of settled snow from around November 11 through to June 6, which works out at roughly 209 days of skiable cover in an average year. 196 of those fall inside the November to May season. On season length that is among the very best we track 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, March.

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 Les Arcs are taken at 7,260ft. Corpus last rebuilt September 2, 2026.

Les Arcs 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.

Les Arcs in November

Base building

November is when the base starts to build, averaging 16in and deepening towards its March peak. It brings 39in of new snow in an average year, with 12 snow days and 1.8 powder days. Average highs are 33°F and lows 16°F, with 6.2 hours of sunshine a day and 3.3 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 3.1 on average at mid-mountain.

Les Arcs in December

Base building

Through December the base keeps building, to an average of 43in. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 56in of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 3.1 powder days. Average highs are 27°F and lows 12°F, with 5.4 hours of sunshine a day and 4.2 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 1.9 on average at mid-mountain.

Les Arcs in January

Best all round

Through January the base keeps building, to an average of 61in. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 51in of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 2.8 powder days. Average highs are 25°F and lows 9°F, with 6.1 hours of sunshine a day and 4.1 bluebird days. Rain is rare: under two days in a typical January. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Les Arcs.

Les Arcs in February

Base building

By February the base is close to its March peak, averaging 70in. It brings 32in of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and 1.4 powder days. Average highs are 31°F and lows 13°F, with 7.2 hours of sunshine a day and 3.6 bluebird days.

Les Arcs in March

Deepest base

March is when the base at Les Arcs is at its deepest, averaging 76in through the month and peaking around 87in in a typical year. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 41in of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 1.7 powder days. Average highs are 33°F and lows 16°F, with 8.3 hours of sunshine a day and 4.5 bluebird days, the most of any month.

Les Arcs in April

Still deep

April still has a deep base, averaging 70in — only a little down on the March peak. It brings 22in of new snow in an average year, with 8 snow days and 0.5 powder days. Average highs are 38°F and lows 21°F, with 10.3 hours of sunshine a day and 2.9 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 3.7 on average at mid-mountain.

Les Arcs in May

Late season

In May the base averages 48in, past its March peak of 76in and thinning. It brings 18in of new snow in an average year, with 7 snow days and 0.5 powder days. Average highs are 45°F and lows 28°F, with 10.8 hours of sunshine a day and 2 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 13.7 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average May.

How Les Arcs compares with nearby resorts

Of Les Arcs and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Les Arcs ranks 2 of 5 for snowfall, with 258in a season. La Thuile gets more; La Plagne, Tignes and Val d'Isère get less.

La Thuile has the most powder days (13 a season, against 12 here); Val d'Isère builds the deepest base (93in against 92in); and La Thuile gets the most bluebird days (30 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 Les Arcs and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Les Arcs—7,260ft258in92in1225
La Plagne7 mi7,382ft253in85in1128
Tignes11 mi8,212ft257in91in1129
La Thuile, Italy12 mi6,696ft269in92in1330
Val d'Isère14 mi8,704ft257in93in1129

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

More on Les Arcs

Ski resorts near Les Arcs

Distances are straight-line, not by road.