Saalbach snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Salzburg, Austria · 3,291ft to 6,877ft

Over the last 10 seasons Saalbach, Austria has averaged 119in of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 48in, 2 powder days and 10 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around December 6 to May 2.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Saalbach

118 in
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
48 in
Peak depth
typical season high
2
Powder days
6in+ in a day
10
Bluebird days
sun after snow
52
Rain days
0.04in+ of rain
137
Skiable days
12in+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Saalbach, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan26 in32 in0.3in5.5 h30° / 13°0.52.21.8
Feb20 in39 in0.6in6.7 h36° / 17°0.62.23.5
Mar16 in37 in1.3in8.0 h41° / 22°0.01.36.5
Apr12 in26 in1.9in9.3 h48° / 28°0.10.910.8
May4 in7 in5.8in9.6 h55° / 35°0.00.319.4
Jun0 in0 in5.5in11.7 h65° / 45°0.00.018.1
Jul0 in0 in7.2in11.4 h66° / 47°0.00.020.3
Aug0 in0 in6.7in10.6 h67° / 48°0.00.017.4
Sep4 in1 in5in8.9 h59° / 40°0.10.114.4
Oct5 in1 in3.9in7.2 h51° / 34°0.10.112.7
Nov17 in5 in1.4in5.9 h40° / 24°0.21.66.2
Dec23 in18 in0.8in4.9 h33° / 18°0.31.63.9

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
2025/2680 in28 in1722
2024/25leanest72 in29 in02127
2023/24143 in50 in37161
2022/23110 in42 in15150
2021/22120 in53 in211158
2020/21121 in55 in211162
2019/20116 in52 in119155
2018/19best182 in72 in510173
2017/18135 in63 in115168
2016/17105 in36 in11489
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 5,085ft, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Saalbach 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
119 in
Ahead of 55% of resortsMedian 111 in

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
well above average
48 in
Ahead of 83% 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
10
Ahead of 55% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
well above average
52
Drier than 22% of resortsMedian 32

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

Skiable days
above average
137
Ahead of 63% of resortsMedian 115

Days holding 12in or more of settled snow.

The season at Saalbach

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

SepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
December 6
Season ends
May 2
Days of cover
149 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
39in average depth
Most new snow
January
26in and 0.5 powder days
Best bluebird odds
January
2.2 bluebird days, 5.5h sun a day
Wettest month
May
19.4 rain days

Is Saalbach a good place to ski or board?

a deep, reliable baseit sees more rain than most

On 10 years of record, Saalbach stands out for a deep, reliable base. The trade-off is that it sees more rain than most.

Figures are modelled at 5,085ft from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Saalbach snow record in detail

How much snow does Saalbach get?

Saalbach averages 119in of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is about average: more snow than 55% 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 2018/19 with 182in, and the leanest was 2024/25 with 72in — a difference of 110in between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 80in.

January is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 26in and 12 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Saalbach?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Saalbach the snowpack peaks at an average of 48in each season. That is well above average, deeper than 83% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 33in.

The base is deepest in February, averaging 39in through the month and topping out around 44in in a typical year.

How many powder days does Saalbach get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 6in of new snow, Saalbach 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, 0.5 on average.

How often does Saalbach get bluebird days?

Saalbach averages 10 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 55% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 10.

January is the best month for it, averaging 2.2 bluebird days and 5.5 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Saalbach?

At mid-mountain Saalbach sees an average of 52 days a season with 0.04in or more of rain rather than snow. That is well above average: 78% 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 19.4 rain days and 5.8in on average.

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

Saalbach typically holds at least 12in of settled snow from around December 6 through to May 2, which works out at roughly 149 days of skiable cover in an average year. 137 of those fall inside the November to May season. On season length that is above 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, 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 Saalbach are taken at 5,085ft. Corpus last rebuilt September 2, 2026.

Saalbach 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.

Saalbach in November

Too early

In November cover at mid-mountain is usually too thin to rely on, averaging 5in through the month. It brings 17in of new snow in an average year, with 8 snow days and 0.2 powder days. Average highs are 40°F and lows 24°F, with 5.9 hours of sunshine a day and 1.6 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 6.2 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average November.

Saalbach in December

Base building

December is when the base starts to build, averaging 19in and deepening towards its February peak. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 23in of new snow on average, 11 snow days and 0.3 powder days. Average highs are 33°F and lows 18°F, with 4.9 hours of sunshine a day and 1.6 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 3.9 on average at mid-mountain.

Saalbach in January

Best all round

By January the base is close to its February peak, averaging 32in. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 26in of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 0.5 powder days. Average highs are 30°F and lows 13°F, with 5.5 hours of sunshine a day and 2.2 bluebird days, the most of any month. Expect the odd wet day — 1.8 on average at mid-mountain. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Saalbach.

Saalbach in February

Deepest base

February is when the base at Saalbach is at its deepest, averaging 39in through the month and peaking around 44in in a typical year. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 20in of new snow on average, 10 snow days and 0.6 powder days. Average highs are 36°F and lows 17°F, with 6.7 hours of sunshine a day and 2.2 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 3.5 on average at mid-mountain.

Saalbach in March

Still deep

March still has a deep base, averaging 37in — only a little down on the February peak. It brings 16in of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 41°F and lows 22°F, with 8 hours of sunshine a day and 1.3 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 6.5 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average March.

Saalbach in April

Late season

In April the base averages 26in, past its February peak of 39in and thinning. It brings 11in of new snow in an average year, with 6 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are 48°F and lows 28°F, with 9.3 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is a real risk: 10.8 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average April.

How Saalbach compares with nearby resorts

Of Saalbach and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Saalbach ranks last for snowfall, with 119in a season. Every one of its neighbours gets more.

Kaprun has the most powder days (6 a season, against 2 here); Kaprun builds the deepest base (65in against 48in); and Kaprun gets the most bluebird days (22 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 Saalbach and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Saalbach—5,085ft119in48in210
Zell am See9 mi4,524ft144in47in414
Kaprun10 mi6,260ft204in65in622
Kitzbühel12 mi4,531ft136in44in313
Winklmoosalm, Germany16 mi4,872ft182in56in616

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

More on Saalbach

Ski resorts near Saalbach

Distances are straight-line, not by road.