Val d'Isère snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Savoie, France · 6,070ft to 11,339ft

Over the last 10 seasons Val d'Isère, France has averaged 257in of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 93in, 11 powder days and 29 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around November 12 to June 7.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Val d'Isère

257 in
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
93 in
Peak depth
typical season high
11
Powder days
6in+ in a day
29
Bluebird days
sun after snow
7
Rain days
0.04in+ of rain
198
Skiable days
12in+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Val d'Isère, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan46 in59 in0.1in6.4 h20° / 8°2.23.80.2
Feb29 in67 in0in7.6 h25° / 11°1.23.50.0
Mar37 in76 in0in8.6 h26° / 12°1.64.70.0
Apr26 in73 in0.1in10.5 h31° / 18°0.73.60.4
May27 in57 in0.5in11.2 h37° / 25°0.84.04.1
Jun3 in11 in2.3in13.1 h50° / 35°0.00.213.8
Jul2 in0 in2.1in13.7 h54° / 39°0.00.112.8
Aug2 in0 in2.6in12.2 h54° / 39°0.10.112.5
Sep6 in0 in2.2in10.4 h47° / 33°0.10.49.7
Oct19 in2 in1.6in8.0 h40° / 26°0.52.27.2
Nov41 in19 in0.3in6.4 h28° / 15°2.04.61.3
Dec51 in44 in0.1in5.7 h23° / 12°2.94.80.6

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
2025/26leanest184 in76 in719194
2024/25216 in101 in814192
2023/24326 in118 in1334212
2022/23236 in70 in733191
2021/22205 in70 in1123193
2020/21227 in72 in726175
2019/20334 in117 in2235210
2018/19247 in97 in1127212
2017/18best366 in120 in1945201
2016/17229 in87 in934204
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 8,704ft, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Val d'Isère 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
257 in
Ahead of 95% of resortsMedian 111 in

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
among the very best we track
93 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
11
Ahead of 95% of resortsMedian 2

Days with 6in or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
among the very best we track
29
Ahead of 98% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
well below average
7
Drier than 95% of resortsMedian 32

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

Skiable days
among the very best we track
198
Ahead of 93% of resortsMedian 115

Days holding 12in or more of settled snow.

The season at Val d'Isère

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

SepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
November 12
Season ends
June 7
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
51in and 2.9 powder days
Best bluebird odds
December
4.8 bluebird days, 5.7h sun a day
Wettest month
May
4.1 rain days

Is Val d'Isère 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, Val d'Isère 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 8,704ft from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Val d'Isère snow record in detail

How much snow does Val d'Isère get?

Val d'Isère averages 257in 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 366in, and the leanest was 2025/26 with 184in — a difference of 183in between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 184in.

December is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 51in and 13 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Val d'Isère?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Val d'Isère the snowpack peaks at an average of 93in 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 86in in a typical year.

How many powder days does Val d'Isère get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 6in of new snow, Val d'Isère averages 11 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, 2.9 on average.

How often does Val d'Isère get bluebird days?

Val d'Isère averages 29 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.

December is the best month for it, averaging 4.8 bluebird days and 5.7 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Val d'Isère?

At mid-mountain Val d'Isère sees an average of 7 days a season with 0.04in or more of rain rather than snow. That is well below average: 5% 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 4.1 rain days and 0.5in on average.

When is the best time to ski or board Val d'Isère, and when does the season end?

Val d'Isère typically holds at least 12in of settled snow from around November 12 through to June 7, which works out at roughly 209 days of skiable cover in an average year. 198 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, December.

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 Val d'Isère are taken at 8,704ft. Corpus last rebuilt September 2, 2026.

Val d'Isère 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.

Val d'Isère in November

Base building

November is when the base starts to build, averaging 19in and deepening towards its March peak. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 41in of new snow on average, 13 snow days and 2 powder days. Average highs are 28°F and lows 15°F, with 6.4 hours of sunshine a day and 4.6 bluebird days. Rain is rare: under two days in a typical November.

Val d'Isère in December

Base building

Through December the base keeps building, to an average of 44in. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 51in of new snow on average, 13 snow days and 2.9 powder days. Average highs are 23°F and lows 12°F, with 5.7 hours of sunshine a day and 4.8 bluebird days, the most of any month.

Val d'Isère in January

Base building

Through January the base keeps building, to an average of 59in. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 46in of new snow on average, 13 snow days and 2.2 powder days. Average highs are 20°F and lows 8°F, with 6.4 hours of sunshine a day and 3.8 bluebird days.

Val d'Isère in February

Base building

By February the base is close to its March peak, averaging 67in. It brings 29in of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and 1.2 powder days. Average highs are 25°F and lows 11°F, with 7.6 hours of sunshine a day and 3.5 bluebird days.

Val d'Isère in March

Best all round

March is when the base at Val d'Isère is at its deepest, averaging 76in through the month and peaking around 85in in a typical year. It brings 37in of new snow in an average year, with 13 snow days and 1.6 powder days. Average highs are 26°F and lows 12°F, with 8.6 hours of sunshine a day and 4.7 bluebird days. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Val d'Isère.

Val d'Isère in April

Still deep

April still has a deep base, averaging 73in — only a little down on the March peak. It brings 26in of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and 0.7 powder days. Average highs are 31°F and lows 18°F, with 10.5 hours of sunshine a day and 3.6 bluebird days.

Val d'Isère in May

Still deep

May still has a deep base, averaging 57in — only a little down on the March peak. It brings 27in of new snow in an average year, with 11 snow days and 0.8 powder days. Average highs are 37°F and lows 25°F, with 11.2 hours of sunshine a day and 4 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 4.1 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average May.

How Val d'Isère compares with nearby resorts

Of Val d'Isère and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Val d'Isère ranks 2 of 5 for snowfall, with 257in a season. Les Arcs gets more; La Plagne and Courchevel get less.

Les Arcs has the most powder days (12 a season, against 11 here); Val d'Isère builds the deepest base (93in at its peak); and Val d'Isère 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 Val d'Isère and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Val d'Isère—8,704ft257in93in1129
Tignes4 mi8,212ft257in91in1129
Les Arcs14 mi7,260ft258in92in1225
La Plagne16 mi7,382ft253in85in1128
Courchevel17 mi6,296ft228in85in923

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

More on Val d'Isère

Ski resorts near Val d'Isère

Distances are straight-line, not by road.