Serre Chevalier snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Hautes-Alpes, France · 3,937ft to 9,186ft

Over the last 10 seasons Serre Chevalier, France has averaged 189in of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 75in, 8 powder days and 23 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around November 14 to May 30.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Serre Chevalier

189 in
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
75 in
Peak depth
typical season high
8
Powder days
6in+ in a day
23
Bluebird days
sun after snow
19
Rain days
0.04in+ of rain
187
Skiable days
12in+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Serre Chevalier, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan30 in47 in0.1in6.7 h28° / 14°1.33.80.4
Feb23 in56 in0.1in7.7 h33° / 18°1.02.00.3
Mar29 in61 in0.1in9.1 h35° / 19°1.14.30.6
Apr21 in54 in0.4in10.5 h41° / 25°1.02.32.4
May15 in35 in2.1in11.3 h49° / 32°0.22.111.5
Jun0 in4 in3.2in13.3 h62° / 42°0.00.014.3
Jul0 in0 in2.3in14.0 h67° / 46°0.00.010.0
Aug1 in0 in2.9in12.3 h67° / 45°0.10.18.5
Sep1 in0 in2.7in10.6 h59° / 39°0.00.09.2
Oct11 in1 in3.8in8.1 h50° / 33°0.70.59.3
Nov34 in14 in0.7in6.6 h36° / 22°1.94.23.1
Dec37 in36 in0.3in6.1 h30° / 17°1.53.80.9

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
2025/26162 in67 in716107
2024/25181 in65 in719186
2023/24best276 in97 in1534212
2022/23157 in61 in721188
2021/22leanest127 in53 in616182
2020/21172 in55 in522174
2019/20212 in100 in823207
2018/19158 in76 in618212
2017/18266 in103 in1130195
2016/17177 in75 in826204
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 6,562ft, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Serre Chevalier 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
well above average
189 in
Ahead of 85% of resortsMedian 111 in

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
well above average
75 in
Ahead of 88% of resortsMedian 33 in

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
among the very best we track
8
Ahead of 90% of resortsMedian 2

Days with 6in or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
among the very best we track
23
Ahead of 98% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
well below average
19
Drier than 77% of resortsMedian 32

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

Skiable days
well above average
187
Ahead of 85% of resortsMedian 115

Days holding 12in or more of settled snow.

The season at Serre Chevalier

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

SepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
November 14
Season ends
May 30
Days of cover
199 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
61in average depth
Most new snow
December
37in and 1.5 powder days
Best bluebird odds
March
4.3 bluebird days, 9.1h sun a day
Wettest month
May
11.5 rain days

Is Serre Chevalier a good place to ski or board?

heavy snowfalla deep, reliable basefrequent powder daysplenty of bluebird daysvery little raina long season

On 10 years of record, Serre Chevalier stands out for heavy snowfall, a deep, reliable base, frequent powder days, plenty of bluebird days, very little rain and a long season.

Figures are modelled at 6,562ft from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Serre Chevalier snow record in detail

How much snow does Serre Chevalier get?

Serre Chevalier averages 189in of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is well above average: more snow than 85% 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 2023/24 with 276in, and the leanest was 2021/22 with 127in — a difference of 149in between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 162in.

December is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 37in and 11 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Serre Chevalier?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Serre Chevalier the snowpack peaks at an average of 75in each season. That is well above average, deeper than 88% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 33in.

The base is deepest in March, averaging 61in through the month and topping out around 70in in a typical year.

How many powder days does Serre Chevalier get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 6in of new snow, Serre Chevalier averages 8 powder days a season. That is among the very best we track, more powder days than 90% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median is 2 a season.

December has the most, 1.5 on average.

How often does Serre Chevalier get bluebird days?

Serre Chevalier averages 23 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 4.3 bluebird days and 9.1 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Serre Chevalier?

At mid-mountain Serre Chevalier sees an average of 19 days a season with 0.04in or more of rain rather than snow. That is well below average: 23% 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 11.5 rain days and 2.1in on average.

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

Serre Chevalier typically holds at least 12in of settled snow from around November 14 through to May 30, which works out at roughly 199 days of skiable cover in an average year. 187 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, 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 Serre Chevalier are taken at 6,562ft. Corpus last rebuilt September 2, 2026.

Serre Chevalier 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.

Serre Chevalier in November

Base building

November is when the base starts to build, averaging 14in and deepening towards its March peak. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 34in of new snow on average, 10 snow days and 1.9 powder days. Average highs are 36°F and lows 22°F, with 6.6 hours of sunshine a day and 4.2 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 3.1 on average at mid-mountain.

Serre Chevalier in December

Base building

Through December the base keeps building, to an average of 36in. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 37in of new snow on average, 11 snow days and 1.5 powder days. Average highs are 30°F and lows 17°F, with 6.1 hours of sunshine a day and 3.8 bluebird days. Rain is rare: under two days in a typical December.

Serre Chevalier in January

Base building

Through January the base keeps building, to an average of 47in. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 30in of new snow on average, 11 snow days and 1.3 powder days. Average highs are 28°F and lows 14°F, with 6.7 hours of sunshine a day and 3.8 bluebird days.

Serre Chevalier in February

Base building

By February the base is close to its March peak, averaging 56in. It brings 24in of new snow in an average year, with 8 snow days and 1 powder days. Average highs are 33°F and lows 18°F, with 7.7 hours of sunshine a day and 2 bluebird days.

Serre Chevalier in March

Best all round

March is when the base at Serre Chevalier is at its deepest, averaging 61in through the month and peaking around 70in in a typical year. It brings 29in of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and 1.1 powder days. Average highs are 35°F and lows 19°F, with 9.1 hours of sunshine a day and 4.3 bluebird days, the most of any month. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Serre Chevalier.

Serre Chevalier in April

Still deep

April still has a deep base, averaging 54in — only a little down on the March peak. It brings 21in of new snow in an average year, with 8 snow days and 1 powder days. Average highs are 41°F and lows 25°F, with 10.5 hours of sunshine a day and 2.3 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 2.4 on average at mid-mountain.

Serre Chevalier in May

Late season

In May the base averages 35in, past its March peak of 61in and thinning. It brings 15in of new snow in an average year, with 7 snow days and 0.2 powder days. Average highs are 49°F and lows 32°F, with 11.3 hours of sunshine a day and 2.1 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 11.5 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average May.

How Serre Chevalier compares with nearby resorts

Of Serre Chevalier and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Serre Chevalier ranks first for snowfall, with 189in a season. Every one of its neighbours gets less.

Serre Chevalier has the most powder days of the group (8 a season); Serre Chevalier builds the deepest base (75in at its peak); and Serre Chevalier 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 Serre Chevalier and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Serre Chevalier—6,562ft189in75in823
Claviere, Italy9 mi7,480ft156in61in522
Bardonecchia, Italy11 mi6,663ft183in74in723
Sauze d'Oulx, Italy14 mi7,110ft155in61in521
Sestriere, Italy15 mi7,969ft157in59in623

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

More on Serre Chevalier

Ski resorts near Serre Chevalier

Distances are straight-line, not by road.