Zugspitze snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Bavaria, Germany · 9,718ft to 9,718ft

Over the last 10 seasons Zugspitze, Germany has averaged 134in of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 47in, 3 powder days and 12 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around November 30 to May 1.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Zugspitze

134 in
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
47 in
Peak depth
typical season high
3
Powder days
6in+ in a day
12
Bluebird days
sun after snow
46
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 Zugspitze, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan29 in30 in0.3in5.6 h13° / -2°0.92.21.9
Feb19 in38 in0.5in6.8 h18° / 1°0.62.02.4
Mar21 in37 in0.8in8.1 h23° / 7°0.21.75.1
Apr14 in25 in1.6in9.7 h31° / 12°0.01.28.4
May7 in6 in5.6in9.9 h37° / 20°0.10.719.5
Jun0 in0 in6.3in11.8 h47° / 29°0.00.019.9
Jul0 in0 in6.7in11.7 h48° / 31°0.00.020.8
Aug0 in0 in6.4in10.5 h49° / 31°0.00.019.2
Sep4 in0 in4.5in9.1 h42° / 24°0.20.315.5
Oct7 in1 in3.2in7.4 h35° / 17°0.00.711.3
Nov20 in5 in0.9in5.9 h23° / 7°0.22.24.9
Dec25 in19 in0.6in5.0 h16° / 1°0.71.83.4

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
2025/2698 in35 in2728
2024/25leanest93 in33 in08133
2023/24best197 in48 in416166
2022/23129 in38 in16156
2021/22120 in46 in310145
2020/21141 in57 in212164
2019/20127 in56 in212164
2018/19182 in61 in917171
2017/18150 in62 in415168
2016/17106 in36 in01591
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 9,718ft, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Zugspitze 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
above average
134 in
Ahead of 69% of resortsMedian 107 in

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
well above average
47 in
Ahead of 79% of resortsMedian 33 in

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
about average
3
Ahead of 59% of resortsMedian 2

Days with 6in or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
above average
12
Ahead of 62% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
above average
46
Drier than 33% of resortsMedian 32

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

Skiable days
above average
139
Ahead of 62% of resortsMedian 114

Days holding 12in or more of settled snow.

The season at Zugspitze

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

SepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
November 30
Season ends
May 1
Days of cover
154 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
38in average depth
Most new snow
January
29in and 0.9 powder days
Best bluebird odds
November
2.2 bluebird days, 5.9h sun a day
Wettest month
May
19.5 rain days

Is Zugspitze a good place to ski or board?

a deep, reliable base

On 10 years of record, Zugspitze stands out for a deep, reliable base.

Figures are modelled at 9,718ft from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Zugspitze snow record in detail

How much snow does Zugspitze get?

Zugspitze averages 134in of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is above average: more snow than 69% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median season brings 107in.

Season to season the spread is wide. The best of the last 10 winters was 2023/24 with 197in, and the leanest was 2024/25 with 93in — a difference of 105in between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 98in.

January is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 29in and 12 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Zugspitze?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Zugspitze the snowpack peaks at an average of 47in each season. That is well above average, deeper than 79% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 33in.

The base is deepest in February, averaging 38in through the month and topping out around 43in in a typical year.

How many powder days does Zugspitze get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 6in of new snow, Zugspitze averages 3 powder days a season. That is about average, more powder days than 59% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median is 2 a season.

January has the most, 0.9 on average.

How often does Zugspitze get bluebird days?

Zugspitze averages 12 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 62% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 10.

November is the best month for it, averaging 2.2 bluebird days and 5.9 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Zugspitze?

At mid-mountain Zugspitze sees an average of 46 days a season with 0.04in or more of rain rather than snow. That is above average: 67% 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 19.5 rain days and 5.6in on average.

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

Zugspitze typically holds at least 12in of settled snow from around November 30 through to May 1, which works out at roughly 154 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 39 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, November.

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 Zugspitze are taken at 9,718ft. Corpus last rebuilt September 2, 2026.

Zugspitze 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.

Zugspitze in November

Too early

In November cover at mid-mountain is usually too thin to rely on, averaging 6in through the month. It brings 20in of new snow in an average year, with 9 snow days and 0.2 powder days. Average highs are 23°F and lows 7°F, with 5.9 hours of sunshine a day and 2.2 bluebird days, the most of any month. Rain is a real risk: 4.9 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average November.

Zugspitze 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 25in of new snow on average, 11 snow days and 0.7 powder days. Average highs are 16°F and lows 1°F, with 5 hours of sunshine a day and 1.8 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 3.4 on average at mid-mountain.

Zugspitze in January

Best all round

By January the base is close to its February peak, averaging 30in. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 29in of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 0.9 powder days. Average highs are 13°F and lows -2°F, with 5.6 hours of sunshine a day and 2.2 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 1.9 on average at mid-mountain. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Zugspitze.

Zugspitze in February

Deepest base

February is when the base at Zugspitze is at its deepest, averaging 38in through the month and peaking around 43in in a typical year. It brings 19in of new snow in an average year, with 9 snow days and 0.6 powder days. Average highs are 18°F and lows 1°F, with 6.8 hours of sunshine a day and 2 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 2.4 on average at mid-mountain.

Zugspitze in March

Still deep

March still has a deep base, averaging 37in — only a little down on the February peak. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 20in of new snow on average, 11 snow days and 0.2 powder days. Average highs are 23°F and lows 7°F, with 8.1 hours of sunshine a day and 1.7 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 5.1 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average March.

Zugspitze in April

Late season

In April the base averages 25in, past its February peak of 38in and thinning. It brings 13in of new snow in an average year, with 7 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 31°F and lows 12°F, with 9.7 hours of sunshine a day and 1.2 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 8.4 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average April.

How Zugspitze compares with nearby resorts

Of Zugspitze and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Zugspitze ranks 3 of 5 for snowfall, with 134in a season. Wank and Garmisch-Partenkirchen get more; Seefeld and Innsbruck get less.

Zugspitze has the most powder days of the group (3 a season); Zugspitze builds the deepest base (47in at its peak); and Wank gets the most bluebird days (13 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 Zugspitze and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Zugspitze—9,718ft134in47in312
Wank7 mi5,840ft139in43in313
Garmisch-Partenkirchen8 mi6,020ft139in43in313
Seefeld, Austria11 mi5,381ft114in47in29
Innsbruck, Austria21 mi6,191ft129in46in311

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

More on Zugspitze

Ski resorts near Zugspitze

Distances are straight-line, not by road.