Zell am See snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Salzburg, Austria · 2,484ft to 6,562ft

Over the last 10 seasons Zell am See, Austria has averaged 144in of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 47in, 4 powder days and 14 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around December 5 to May 2.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Zell am See

144 in
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
47 in
Peak depth
typical season high
4
Powder days
6in+ in a day
14
Bluebird days
sun after snow
50
Rain days
0.04in+ of rain
139
Skiable days
12in+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Zell am See, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan30 in32 in0.3in5.6 h33° / 17°0.82.81.5
Feb26 in39 in0.5in6.9 h38° / 21°1.12.43.3
Mar22 in37 in1.2in8.2 h43° / 25°0.32.26.7
Apr15 in26 in2in9.6 h50° / 30°0.11.89.7
May5 in7 in6.6in9.8 h57° / 38°0.00.319.2
Jun0 in0 in6.4in12.0 h67° / 47°0.00.017.3
Jul0 in0 in7.5in11.8 h68° / 50°0.00.019.7
Aug0 in0 in6.8in10.9 h69° / 51°0.00.016.8
Sep4 in1 in5.3in9.1 h61° / 44°0.10.414.9
Oct7 in1 in4in7.4 h54° / 37°0.10.811.7
Nov21 in6 in1.5in6.1 h42° / 28°0.71.95.9
Dec26 in20 in0.8in5.1 h36° / 22°0.72.33.9

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
2025/2692 in18 in1811
2024/25leanest91 in29 in16127
2023/24163 in54 in511168
2022/23134 in43 in28149
2021/22166 in53 in516164
2020/21146 in56 in313167
2019/20143 in56 in523169
2018/19best221 in66 in1014173
2017/18159 in62 in224168
2016/17130 in35 in31490
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 4,524ft, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Zell am See 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
above average
144 in
Ahead of 73% of resortsMedian 111 in

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
well above average
47 in
Ahead of 80% of resortsMedian 33 in

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
above average
4
Ahead of 73% of resortsMedian 2

Days with 6in or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
above average
14
Ahead of 68% 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
above average
139
Ahead of 63% of resortsMedian 115

Days holding 12in or more of settled snow.

The season at Zell am See

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

SepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
December 5
Season ends
May 2
Days of cover
150 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
30in and 0.8 powder days
Best bluebird odds
January
2.8 bluebird days, 5.6h sun a day
Wettest month
May
19.2 rain days

Is Zell am See a good place to ski or board?

heavy snowfalla deep, reliable basefrequent powder daysit sees more rain than most

On 10 years of record, Zell am See stands out for heavy snowfall, a deep, reliable base and frequent powder days. The trade-off is that it sees more rain than most.

Figures are modelled at 4,524ft from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Zell am See snow record in detail

How much snow does Zell am See get?

Zell am See averages 144in of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is above average: more snow than 73% 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 221in, and the leanest was 2024/25 with 91in — a difference of 129in between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 92in.

January is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 30in and 13 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Zell am See?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Zell am See the snowpack peaks at an average of 47in each season. That is well above average, deeper than 80% 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 Zell am See get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 6in of new snow, Zell am See averages 4 powder days a season. That is above average, more powder days than 73% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median is 2 a season.

January has the most, 0.8 on average.

How often does Zell am See get bluebird days?

Zell am See averages 14 bluebird days a season — days of sunshine for at least 60% of daylight after 4in or more of fresh snow. That is above average, more than 68% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 10.

January is the best month for it, averaging 2.8 bluebird days and 5.6 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Zell am See?

At mid-mountain Zell am See 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 19.2 rain days and 6.6in on average.

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

Zell am See typically holds at least 12in of settled snow from around December 5 through to May 2, which works out at roughly 150 days of skiable cover in an average year. 139 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 Zell am See are taken at 4,524ft. Corpus last rebuilt September 2, 2026.

Zell am See 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.

Zell am See in November

Early and thin

November is the start of the season at Zell am See: the base averages 6in, which is skiable in a good year but patchy in a poor one. It brings 21in of new snow in an average year, with 9 snow days and 0.7 powder days. Average highs are 42°F and lows 28°F, with 6.1 hours of sunshine a day and 1.9 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 5.9 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average November.

Zell am See in December

Base building

December is when the base starts to build, averaging 20in and deepening towards its February peak. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 26in of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 0.7 powder days. Average highs are 36°F and lows 22°F, with 5.1 hours of sunshine a day and 2.3 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 3.9 on average at mid-mountain.

Zell am See in January

Best all round

By January the base is close to its February peak, averaging 33in. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 30in of new snow on average, 13 snow days and 0.8 powder days. Average highs are 33°F and lows 17°F, with 5.6 hours of sunshine a day and 2.8 bluebird days, the most of any month. Expect the odd wet day — 1.5 on average at mid-mountain. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Zell am See.

Zell am See in February

Deepest base

February is when the base at Zell am See is at its deepest, averaging 39in through the month and peaking around 44in in a typical year. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 26in of new snow on average, 10 snow days and 1.1 powder days. Average highs are 38°F and lows 21°F, with 6.9 hours of sunshine a day and 2.4 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 3.3 on average at mid-mountain.

Zell am See in March

Still deep

March still has a deep base, averaging 37in — only a little down on the February peak. It brings 22in of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and 0.3 powder days. Average highs are 43°F and lows 25°F, with 8.2 hours of sunshine a day and 2.2 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 6.7 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average March.

Zell am See in April

Late season

In April the base averages 26in, past its February peak of 39in and thinning. It brings 15in of new snow in an average year, with 7 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are 50°F and lows 30°F, with 9.6 hours of sunshine a day and 1.8 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 9.7 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average April.

How Zell am See compares with nearby resorts

Of Zell am See and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Zell am See ranks 4 of 5 for snowfall, with 144in a season. Kaprun, Dorfgastein and Bad Hofgastein get more; Saalbach gets less.

Kaprun has the most powder days (6 a season, against 4 here); Kaprun builds the deepest base (65in against 47in); 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 Zell am See and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Zell am See—4,524ft144in47in414
Kaprun4 mi6,260ft204in65in622
Saalbach9 mi5,085ft119in48in210
Dorfgastein15 mi5,738ft148in50in414
Bad Hofgastein17 mi5,817ft180in52in519

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

More on Zell am See

Ski resorts near Zell am See

Distances are straight-line, not by road.