July
Where to ski in July: the surest natural snow
The ski resorts with the surest natural snow in July, ranked from eleven winters of weather data. Las Leñas leads.
The short answer
One of the 44 resorts Cirque models were snow-sure in July 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 July days. The surest: Las Leñas (9 of 11 winters).
27 resorts had natural snow at mid-mountain on fewer than 5% of July days, so they are left out below. The counts in brackets are snow-sure winters out of the last 11.
The Alps
A gamble: Cervinia (1 of 11), Zermatt (1 of 11) and Tignes (0 of 11).
New Zealand
Hit and miss: Treble Cone (5 of 11). A gamble: Cardrona (2 of 11), Coronet Peak (2 of 11), The Remarkables (2 of 11), Mt Hutt (1 of 11) and Whakapapa (1 of 11).
Australia
A gamble: Perisher (1 of 11), Mt Hotham (1 of 11), Falls Creek (1 of 11) and Thredbo (1 of 11).
South America
Snow-sure: Las Leñas (9 of 11). Usually good: Valle Nevado (8 of 11) and Portillo (7 of 11). Hit and miss: Cerro Catedral (6 of 11).
Go high
At Tignes, Zermatt, Cervinia, Portillo, Valle Nevado and Cerro Catedral, the summit was snow-sure in July in at least 9 of the last 11 winters when mid-mountain was not. If you are going to one of these in July, the top of the mountain is where natural snow has been dependable.
Early or late July?
Across the resorts with snow this month, the second half of July has usually been the surer fortnight: 12 resorts had more snow-sure days late in the month and 3 resorts early on. Each resort’s own month page has its numbers.
Questions
Where is the best snow for skiing in July?
Among the 44 resorts Cirque models, Las Leñas (9 of 11) have had the most reliable natural snow in July over the last 11 winters, counted as winters where mid-mountain had 30 cm or more on at least 90% of days.
Is July a good time to ski?
In the southern hemisphere, yes: it is the main season in New Zealand, Australia and South America.
Does this include snowmaking?
No. These are modelled natural snow figures only, from ERA5 weather. Groomed pistes with snowmaking often ski better than this.
Is snow getting less reliable?
Eleven winters show how much one season differs from the next, not a long-term trend. Cirque does not draw trend conclusions from this record.