Alps
Switzerland
Zermatt
Natural snow at mid-mountain (2,752 m) is reliably skiable from 16 Dec to 15 Jun. At the peak of the season the village at 1,620 m is unreliable (0% of days) and the summit averages 56 cm of fresh snow per fortnight.
Month by month
October
Unreliable for natural snow. Mid-mountain reached 30 cm on 10% of days.
November
Unreliable for natural snow. Mid-mountain reached 30 cm on 54% of days. The summit averages 107 cm of new snow in the month.
December
Snow-sure. Mid-mountain (2,752 m) had 30 cm or more of natural snow on 90% of days, with a typical depth of 77 cm. In the worst of the eleven seasons there was none. The village is usually bare. The summit averages 83 cm of new snow in the month.
January
Snow-sure. Mid-mountain (2,752 m) had 30 cm or more of natural snow on 98% of days, with a typical depth of 112 cm. The worst of the eleven seasons managed 60%. The summit averages 88 cm of new snow in the month.
February
Snow-sure. Mid-mountain (2,752 m) had 30 cm or more of natural snow on 100% of days, with a typical depth of 160 cm. The worst of the eleven seasons managed 100%. The summit averages 56 cm of new snow in the month.
March
Snow-sure. Mid-mountain (2,752 m) had 30 cm or more of natural snow on 100% of days, with a typical depth of 172 cm. The worst of the eleven seasons managed 100%. The summit averages 83 cm of new snow in the month.
April
Snow-sure. Mid-mountain (2,752 m) had 30 cm or more of natural snow on 100% of days, with a typical depth of 203 cm. The worst of the eleven seasons managed 100%. The village is usually bare. The summit averages 80 cm of new snow in the month.
May
Snow-sure. Mid-mountain (2,752 m) had 30 cm or more of natural snow on 100% of days, with a typical depth of 242 cm. The worst of the eleven seasons managed 100%. The village is usually bare. The summit averages 81 cm of new snow in the month.
June
Usually skiable. Mid-mountain had 30 cm or more on 86% of days, typically 148 cm deep. In the worst of the eleven seasons there was none. The village is usually bare. The summit averages 16 cm of new snow in the month.
July
Unreliable for natural snow. Mid-mountain reached 30 cm on 17% of days.
August to September
Natural snow at mid-mountain reached 30 cm on fewer than 5% of days.
Questions
When is the best time to ski Zermatt?
For natural snow, 16 Dec to 15 Jun. In that window mid-mountain (2,752 m) had 30 cm or more of natural snow on at least 90% of days across eleven seasons. May is the most reliable month.
Is there snow at Zermatt in December?
In December, mid-mountain had 30 cm or more of natural snow on 90% of days over eleven seasons, typically 77 cm deep. One or more seasons had none at all.
Does the snow reach the village at Zermatt?
Almost never as natural snow. Even in May, the village at 1,620 m had 30 cm or more on fewer than 5% of days. Expect to ride a lift down at the end of the day.
How high is Zermatt?
The modelled village is at 1,620 m, mid-mountain at 2,752 m and the summit at 3,883 m. The ski area itself spans 1,559 m to 3,872 m.
Is snow at Zermatt getting more or less reliable?
Over the eleven seasons modelled, snow-sure days have gone up by about 27 per decade. Eleven seasons is too short to separate a climate trend from year-to-year swings.
What is the nearest airport to Zermatt?
Milan Malpensa (MXP) is about 87 km away in a straight line. Lugano (LUG) is 90 km away. Road distances are longer.