Comparison
Hemsedal vs Åre: which has more reliable snow?
Hemsedal or Åre? 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
Hemsedal has had the more reliable natural snow: mid-mountain was snow-sure in 4 months of the year, against 3 at Åre. Month by month, Hemsedal has the edge in December and January.
Month by month
December: Hemsedal 2 of 11, Åre 2 of 11 snow-sure winters (64% and 33% of days).
January: Hemsedal 10 of 11, Åre 6 of 11 snow-sure winters (91% and 76% of days).
February: Hemsedal 10 of 11, Åre 11 of 11 snow-sure winters (99% and 100% of days).
March: Hemsedal 11 of 11, Åre 11 of 11 snow-sure winters (100% and 100% of days).
April: Hemsedal 9 of 11, Åre 10 of 11 snow-sure winters (91% and 99% of days).
May: Hemsedal 2 of 11, Åre 1 of 11 snow-sure winters (55% and 48% 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
Hemsedal and Åre are 367 km apart as the crow flies. Hemsedal first, then Åre: Village 625 m against 380 m; Mid-mountain 1,061 m against 827 m; Summit 1,497 m against 1,274 m. Mapped downhill runs: Hemsedal 48 km, Åre 115 km (OpenStreetMap).
In February, the village had 30 cm or more of natural snow on 53% of days at Hemsedal and 27% at Åre.
Questions
Which has more reliable snow, Hemsedal or Åre?
Hemsedal has had the more reliable natural snow: mid-mountain was snow-sure in 4 months of the year, against 3 at Åre. Month by month, Hemsedal has the edge in December and January.
Which has better snow down to the village, Hemsedal or Åre?
In February, Hemsedal: its village had 30 cm or more of modelled natural snow on 53% of days, against 27%.
Does this include snowmaking?
No. These are modelled natural snow figures only, from ERA5 weather. Groomed pistes with snowmaking often ski better than this.