Comparison
Tignes vs Val Thorens: which has more reliable snow?
Tignes or Val Thorens? 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
Very little separates them: both have been snow-sure at mid-mountain in 6 months of the year over the last 11 winters.
Month by month
November: Tignes 2 of 11, Val Thorens 2 of 11 snow-sure winters (42% and 37% of days).
December: Tignes 9 of 11, Val Thorens 9 of 11 snow-sure winters (88% and 83% of days).
January: Tignes 11 of 11, Val Thorens 11 of 11 snow-sure winters (99% and 99% of days).
February: Tignes 11 of 11, Val Thorens 11 of 11 snow-sure winters (100% and 100% of days).
March: Tignes 11 of 11, Val Thorens 11 of 11 snow-sure winters (100% and 100% of days).
April: Tignes 11 of 11, Val Thorens 11 of 11 snow-sure winters (100% and 100% of days).
May: Tignes 11 of 11, Val Thorens 10 of 11 snow-sure winters (100% and 99% 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
Tignes and Val Thorens are 32 km apart as the crow flies. Tignes first, then Val Thorens: Village 1,550 m against 1,800 m; Mid-mountain 2,503 m against 2,515 m; Summit 3,456 m against 3,230 m. Mapped downhill runs: Tignes 211 km, Val Thorens 115 km (OpenStreetMap).
In February, the village had 30 cm or more of natural snow on 76% of days at Tignes and 100% at Val Thorens.
Questions
Which has more reliable snow, Tignes or Val Thorens?
Very little separates them: both have been snow-sure at mid-mountain in 6 months of the year over the last 11 winters.
Which has better snow down to the village, Tignes or Val Thorens?
In February, Val Thorens: its village had 30 cm or more of modelled natural snow on 100% of days, against 76%.
Does this include snowmaking?
No. These are modelled natural snow figures only, from ERA5 weather. Groomed pistes with snowmaking often ski better than this.