The Alps
Best time to ski in the Alps: natural snow month by month
When natural snow has been most reliable at the 14 resorts Cirque models in the Alps, month by month, from eleven winters of weather data.
Every resort Cirque models here
Each cell is one month: the share of days with 30 cm or more of modelled natural snow at mid-mountain over the last 11 winters, from brown (often thin) to deep blue (snow-sure). Blank means almost none.
The short answer
The surest time for natural snow in the Alps has been January to April. In those months most of the 14 resorts Cirque models here were snow-sure in at least 9 of the last 11 winters, meaning mid-mountain had 30 cm or more of modelled natural snow on at least 90% of days.
Month by month
October: 0 of 14 snow-sure. Surest: Cervinia (1 of 11) and Zermatt (1 of 11).
November: 0 of 14 snow-sure. Surest: Cervinia (4 of 11), Zermatt (4 of 11) and Chamonix (2 of 11).
December: 5 of 14 snow-sure. Surest: Zermatt (10 of 11), Chamonix (9 of 11) and Cervinia (9 of 11).
January: 11 of 14 snow-sure. Surest: Chamonix (11 of 11), Val Thorens (11 of 11) and Tignes (11 of 11).
February: 13 of 14 snow-sure. Surest: Val Thorens (11 of 11), Tignes (11 of 11) and Chamonix (11 of 11).
March: 12 of 14 snow-sure. Surest: Val Thorens (11 of 11), Tignes (11 of 11) and Chamonix (11 of 11).
April: 12 of 14 snow-sure. Surest: Val Thorens (11 of 11), Tignes (11 of 11) and Chamonix (11 of 11).
May: 7 of 14 snow-sure. Surest: Tignes (11 of 11), Chamonix (11 of 11) and Zermatt (11 of 11).
June: 0 of 14 snow-sure. Surest: Zermatt (7 of 11), Cervinia (6 of 11) and Tignes (4 of 11).
July: 0 of 14 snow-sure. Surest: Cervinia (1 of 11), Zermatt (1 of 11) and Tignes (0 of 11).
Resort by resort
Cervinia, Italy, 2,050–3,480 m: snow-sure December to May.
Chamonix, France, 1,035–3,842 m: snow-sure December to May.
Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, 1,224–2,932 m: snow-sure February to April.
Courchevel, France, 1,100–2,738 m: snow-sure January to April.
Ischgl, Austria, 1,377–2,872 m: snow-sure January to April.
Kitzbühel, Austria, 800–2,000 m: snow-sure February.
Les Deux Alpes, France, 1,300–3,568 m: snow-sure January to May.
Obergurgl, Austria, 1,793–3,080 m: snow-sure January to April.
St. Anton, Austria, 1,304–2,811 m: snow-sure January to April.
Tignes, France, 1,550–3,456 m: snow-sure December to May.
Val Gardena, Italy, 1,236–2,518 m: no month snow-sure in 9 of 11 winters. Best: March, usually good (8 of 11).
Val Thorens, France, 1,800–3,230 m: snow-sure December to May.
Verbier, Switzerland, 1,500–3,330 m: snow-sure January to May.
Zermatt, Switzerland, 1,620–3,883 m: snow-sure December to May.
Questions
When is the best time to ski in the Alps?
For natural snow, January to April. That is when the most resorts Cirque models in the Alps have been snow-sure over the last 11 winters.
When does natural snow become reliable in the Alps?
The first month in which any resort Cirque models here was snow-sure in at least 9 of 11 winters is December. Resorts open on their own dates and many use snowmaking earlier.
Which resort in the Alps has the most reliable snow?
Of those Cirque models, Val Thorens: mid-mountain was snow-sure in 6 months of the year.
Does this include snowmaking?
No. These are modelled natural snow figures only, from ERA5 weather. Groomed pistes with snowmaking often ski better than this.