Rânca snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Gorj, Romania · 5,249ft to 6,070ft

Over the last 10 seasons Rânca, Romania has averaged 104in of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 21in, 2 powder days and 7 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around January 24 to March 4.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Rânca

104 in
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
21 in
Peak depth
typical season high
2
Powder days
6in+ in a day
7
Bluebird days
sun after snow
50
Rain days
0.04in+ of rain
50
Skiable days
12in+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Rânca, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan23 in11 in0.3in5.6 h27° / 15°0.71.42.0
Feb16 in13 in0.4in6.6 h29° / 18°0.22.02.1
Mar17 in11 in1in7.9 h35° / 22°0.30.84.1
Apr12 in4 in1.7in10.0 h42° / 28°0.30.79.4
May2 in0 in5.6in10.9 h50° / 37°0.00.021.4
Jun0 in0 in5.6in13.0 h60° / 46°0.00.020.6
Jul0 in0 in4.8in13.5 h62° / 49°0.00.017.8
Aug0 in0 in3.8in12.3 h64° / 51°0.00.015.1
Sep0 in0 in3in10.2 h55° / 42°0.00.012.4
Oct4 in0 in1.9in8.0 h46° / 34°0.10.58.3
Nov13 in1 in2.4in5.3 h37° / 26°0.20.98.1
Dec21 in7 in0.7in5.1 h30° / 19°0.71.62.9

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
2025/26107 in24 in2561
2024/2580 in12 in264
2023/24101 in12 in192
2022/23118 in19 in4629
2021/22101 in28 in27107
2020/21best142 in28 in412115
2019/2080 in9 in250
2018/19117 in35 in47108
2017/18132 in32 in11576
2016/17leanest61 in9 in220
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 5,659ft, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Rânca 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
104 in
Ahead of 45% of resortsMedian 111 in

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
well below average
21 in
Ahead of 15% of resortsMedian 33 in

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
about average
2
Ahead of 43% of resortsMedian 2

Days with 6in or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
about average
7
Ahead of 40% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
above average
50
Drier than 30% of resortsMedian 32

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

Skiable days
well below average
50
Ahead of 23% of resortsMedian 115

Days holding 12in or more of settled snow.

The season at Rânca

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

SepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
January 24
Season ends
March 4
Days of cover
40 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
13in average depth
Most new snow
January
23in and 0.7 powder days
Best bluebird odds
February
2.0 bluebird days, 6.6h sun a day
Wettest month
May
21.4 rain days

Is Rânca a good place to ski or board?

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

On 10 years of record, Rânca is a mixed picture: 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 — 2020/21 produced 142in — but the averages argue for flexibility on timing.

Figures are modelled at 5,659ft from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Rânca snow record in detail

How much snow does Rânca get?

Rânca averages 104in of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is about average: more snow than 45% 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 2020/21 with 142in, and the leanest was 2016/17 with 61in — a difference of 81in between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 107in.

January is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 23in and 11 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Rânca?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Rânca the snowpack peaks at an average of 21in each season. That is well below average, deeper than 15% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 33in.

The base is deepest in February, averaging 13in through the month and topping out around 19in in a typical year.

How many powder days does Rânca get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 6in of new snow, Rânca averages 2 powder days a season. That is about average, more powder days than 43% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median is 2 a season.

January has the most, 0.7 on average.

How often does Rânca get bluebird days?

Rânca averages 7 bluebird days a season — days of sunshine for at least 60% of daylight after 4in or more of fresh snow. That is about average, more than 40% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 10.

February is the best month for it, averaging 2.0 bluebird days and 6.6 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Rânca?

At mid-mountain Rânca sees an average of 50 days a season with 0.04in or more of rain rather than snow. That is above average: 70% 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 21.4 rain days and 5.6in on average.

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

Rânca typically holds at least 12in of settled snow from around January 24 through to March 4, which works out at roughly 40 days of skiable cover in an average year. 50 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, 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 Rânca are taken at 5,659ft. Corpus last rebuilt September 2, 2026.

Rânca 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.

Rânca in November

Too early

In November cover at mid-mountain is usually too thin to rely on, averaging 1in through the month. It brings 13in of new snow in an average year, with 7 snow days and 0.2 powder days. Average highs are 37°F and lows 26°F, with 5.3 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is a real risk: 8.1 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average November.

Rânca in December

Early and thin

December is the start of the season at Rânca: the base averages 7in, which is skiable in a good year but patchy in a poor one. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 21in of new snow on average, 9 snow days and 0.7 powder days. Average highs are 30°F and lows 19°F, with 5.1 hours of sunshine a day and 1.6 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 2.9 on average at mid-mountain.

Rânca in January

Early and thin

January is the start of the season at Rânca: the base averages 11in, which is skiable in a good year but patchy in a poor one. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 22in of new snow on average, 11 snow days and 0.7 powder days. Average highs are 27°F and lows 15°F, with 5.6 hours of sunshine a day and 1.4 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 2 on average at mid-mountain.

Rânca in February

Best all round

February is when the base at Rânca is at its deepest, averaging 13in through the month and peaking around 19in in a typical year. It brings 16in of new snow in an average year, with 8 snow days and 0.2 powder days. Average highs are 29°F and lows 18°F, with 6.6 hours of sunshine a day and 2 bluebird days, the most of any month. Expect the odd wet day — 2.1 on average at mid-mountain. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Rânca.

Rânca in March

Thinning out

In March the base is down to an average of 11in, enough on the upper mountain in most years but not something to count on lower down. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 17in of new snow on average, 10 snow days and 0.3 powder days. Average highs are 35°F and lows 22°F, with 7.9 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is a real risk: 4.1 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average March.

Rânca in April

Season over

By April the snow at mid-mountain has usually gone, with an average depth of just 4in. It brings 12in of new snow in an average year, with 7 snow days and 0.3 powder days. Average highs are 42°F and lows 28°F, with 10 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is a real risk: 9.4 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average April.

How Rânca compares with nearby resorts

Of Rânca and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Rânca ranks first for snowfall, with 104in a season. Every one of its neighbours gets less.

Rânca has the most powder days of the group (2 a season); Arieșeni builds the deepest base (23in against 21in); and Rânca 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 Rânca and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Rânca—5,659ft104in21in27
Straja15 mi5,427ft72in17in23
Păltiniș33 mi5,121ft95in19in26
Semenic70 mi4,610ft65in15in14
Arieșeni89 mi4,675ft74in23in13

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

More on Rânca

Ski resorts near Rânca

Distances are straight-line, not by road.