Comparison
Cortina d'Ampezzo vs Kitzbühel: which has more reliable snow?
Cortina d'Ampezzo or Kitzbühel? Natural snow month by month, at the village, mid-mountain and summit, from eleven winters of weather data.
Month by month
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
Cortina d’Ampezzo has had the more reliable natural snow: mid-mountain was snow-sure in 3 months of the year, against 1 at Kitzbühel. Month by month, Cortina d’Ampezzo has the edge in November, December, March, April and May.
Month by month
November: Cortina d’Ampezzo 0 of 11, Kitzbühel 0 of 11 snow-sure winters (14% and 0% of days).
December: Cortina d’Ampezzo 4 of 11, Kitzbühel 2 of 11 snow-sure winters (50% and 28% of days).
January: Cortina d’Ampezzo 6 of 11, Kitzbühel 6 of 11 snow-sure winters (65% and 75% of days).
February: Cortina d’Ampezzo 9 of 11, Kitzbühel 10 of 11 snow-sure winters (89% and 98% of days).
March: Cortina d’Ampezzo 11 of 11, Kitzbühel 7 of 11 snow-sure winters (100% and 85% of days).
April: Cortina d’Ampezzo 10 of 11, Kitzbühel 2 of 11 snow-sure winters (92% and 39% of days).
May: Cortina d’Ampezzo 2 of 11, Kitzbühel 0 of 11 snow-sure winters (54% and 1% of days).
A snow-sure winter is one where mid-mountain had 30 cm or more of modelled natural snow on at least 90% of that month’s days.
Height and terrain
Cortina d’Ampezzo and Kitzbühel are 103 km apart as the crow flies. Cortina d’Ampezzo first, then Kitzbühel: Village 1,224 m against 800 m; Mid-mountain 2,078 m against 1,400 m; Summit 2,932 m against 2,000 m. Mapped downhill runs: Cortina d’Ampezzo 39 km, Kitzbühel 186 km (OpenStreetMap).
In February, the village had 30 cm or more of natural snow on 4% of days at Cortina d’Ampezzo and 11% at Kitzbühel.
Questions
Which has more reliable snow, Cortina d’Ampezzo or Kitzbühel?
Cortina d’Ampezzo has had the more reliable natural snow: mid-mountain was snow-sure in 3 months of the year, against 1 at Kitzbühel. Month by month, Cortina d’Ampezzo has the edge in November, December, March, April and May.
Which has better snow down to the village, Cortina d’Ampezzo or Kitzbühel?
In February, Kitzbühel: its village had 30 cm or more of modelled natural snow on 11% of days, against 4%.
Does this include snowmaking?
No. These are modelled natural snow figures only, from ERA5 weather. Groomed pistes with snowmaking often ski better than this.