Ruka snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at North Ostrobothnia, Finland · 955ft to 1,614ft

Over the last 10 seasons Ruka, Finland has averaged 65in of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 31in, 0 powder days and 1 bluebird day a year, with skiable cover from around December 3 to May 12.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Ruka

65 in
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
31 in
Peak depth
typical season high
0
Powder days
6in+ in a day
1
Bluebird days
sun after snow
15
Rain days
0.04in+ of rain
155
Skiable days
12in+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Ruka, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan11 in21 in0.1in0.5 h17° / 8°0.00.00.3
Feb8 in25 in0in2.2 h18° / 9°0.00.10.3
Mar10 in26 in0.1in5.6 h27° / 16°0.00.00.8
Apr9 in23 in0.2in9.1 h36° / 22°0.00.31.5
May4 in10 in1.3in10.8 h48° / 33°0.00.17.6
Jun1 in0 in3.4in13.2 h60° / 46°0.00.014.7
Jul0 in0 in3.2in12.6 h65° / 52°0.00.013.2
Aug0 in0 in3.4in9.9 h61° / 49°0.00.014.3
Sep0 in0 in3in5.7 h51° / 42°0.00.013.1
Oct8 in2 in1.6in2.3 h37° / 31°0.00.010.1
Nov10 in6 in0.5in0.7 h27° / 21°0.10.13.4
Dec13 in14 in0.1in0.1 h22° / 15°0.00.00.9

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
2025/26leanest49 in30 in01124
2024/2560 in22 in00119
2023/2461 in35 in00170
2022/2360 in29 in00144
2021/2265 in30 in02162
2020/2181 in33 in11172
2019/20best90 in41 in01203
2018/1963 in30 in01122
2017/1852 in30 in00160
2016/1765 in27 in00175
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 1,286ft, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Ruka compares

Measured against 39 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 below average
65 in
Ahead of 8% of resortsMedian 116 in

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
below average
31 in
Ahead of 38% 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
well below average
1
Ahead of 10% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
well below average
15
Drier than 85% of resortsMedian 32

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

Skiable days
above average
155
Ahead of 74% of resortsMedian 114

Days holding 12in or more of settled snow.

The season at Ruka

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

SepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
December 3
Season ends
May 12
Days of cover
162 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
26in average depth
Most new snow
December
13in and 0.0 powder days
Best bluebird odds
April
0.3 bluebird days, 9.1h sun a day
Wettest month
May
7.6 rain days

Is Ruka a good place to ski or board?

very little raina long seasonsnowfall is on the light side

On 10 years of record, Ruka stands out for very little rain and a long season. The trade-off is that snowfall is on the light side.

Figures are modelled at 1,286ft from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Ruka snow record in detail

How much snow does Ruka get?

Ruka averages 65in of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is well below average: more snow than 8% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median season brings 116in.

Season to season the spread is wide. The best of the last 10 winters was 2019/20 with 90in, and the leanest was 2025/26 with 49in — a difference of 41in between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 49in.

December is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 13in and 10 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Ruka?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Ruka the snowpack peaks at an average of 31in each season. That is below average, deeper than 38% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 33in.

The base is deepest in March, averaging 26in through the month and topping out around 29in in a typical year.

How many powder days does Ruka get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 6in of new snow, Ruka 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, 0.0 on average.

How often does Ruka get bluebird days?

Ruka averages 1 bluebird day a season — days of sunshine for at least 60% of daylight after 4in or more of fresh snow. That is well below average, more than 10% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 10.

April is the best month for it, averaging 0.3 bluebird days and 9.1 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Ruka?

At mid-mountain Ruka sees an average of 15 days a season with 0.04in or more of rain rather than snow. That is well below average: 15% of the 39 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 7.6 rain days and 1.3in on average.

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

Ruka typically holds at least 12in of settled snow from around December 3 through to May 12, which works out at roughly 162 days of skiable cover in an average year. 155 of those fall inside the November to May season. On season length that is above average compared with the 39 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, April.

Comparisons use 39 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 Ruka are taken at 1,286ft. Corpus last rebuilt September 2, 2026.

Ruka 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.

Ruka in November

Too early

In November cover at mid-mountain is usually too thin to rely on, averaging 6in through the month. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 9in of new snow on average, 7 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are 27°F and lows 21°F, with 0.7 hours of sunshine a day. Expect the odd wet day — 3.4 on average at mid-mountain.

Ruka in December

Base building

December is when the base starts to build, averaging 14in and deepening towards its March peak. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 13in of new snow on average, 10 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 22°F and lows 15°F, with 0.1 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is rare: under two days in a typical December.

Ruka in January

Base building

Through January the base keeps building, to an average of 20in. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 11in of new snow on average, 9 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 17°F and lows 8°F, with 0.5 hours of sunshine a day.

Ruka in February

Best all round

By February the base is close to its March peak, averaging 25in. It brings 8in of new snow in an average year, with 7 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 18°F and lows 9°F, with 2.2 hours of sunshine a day. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Ruka.

Ruka in March

Deepest base

March is when the base at Ruka is at its deepest, averaging 26in through the month and peaking around 29in in a typical year. It brings 9in of new snow in an average year, with 8 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 27°F and lows 16°F, with 5.6 hours of sunshine a day.

Ruka in April

Still deep

April still has a deep base, averaging 23in — only a little down on the March peak. It brings 9in of new snow in an average year, with 6 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 36°F and lows 22°F, with 9.1 hours of sunshine a day. Expect the odd wet day — 1.5 on average at mid-mountain.

More on Ruka

Ski resorts near Ruka

Distances are straight-line, not by road.