The Austrian resorts British skiers know best, Zell am See, Saalbach, SkiWelt and Mayrhofen, sit in the middle of the Austrian table for Christmas snow, not at the top. Reliably white holidays come from the glaciers and high Tyrol: every resort with a mid-mountain at 2,000 m or above had enough natural snow in at least 25 of the 30 winters 1984/85–2013/14. At 1,200–1,500 m such holidays come about 21 times in 30, and roughly one Christmas in three there relied on snowmaking. Compare by altitude, not by fame. The figures come from climate series covering 30 winters and from model scenarios; this is climate, not a forecast for your next holiday, so for current snow depth check the resort's snow report.
The rule is simple: the holidays count as snowy when, from 22 December to 4 January, natural snow cover of at least 30 cm lay for at least 10 of the 14 days, and a resort is called snow-sure with 25 or more such Christmases out of 30.
Contents
- Zell am See, Saalbach, SkiWelt and Mayrhofen: what to expect at Christmas
- Where there has always been snow over Christmas: glaciers, the Arlberg and Ötztal
- Slope altitude, not village altitude
- Snowmaking: all 134 resorts, but with a caveat
- Austria, Switzerland and France
- Common questions
- Which Austrian resort to pick for Christmas and New Year
Zell am See, Saalbach, SkiWelt and Mayrhofen: what to expect at Christmas
Schmittenhöhe Zell am See and Skicircus Saalbach-Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn sit at the same altitude, 1,400 m mid-mountain, and in the same model region, so both share the same 21 snowy Christmases out of 30 winters 1984/85–2013/14. SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser - Brixental at 1,200 m also has 21, while Mayrhofen Hippach at 1,500 m has only 17 of 30. Snowmaking bails them out: 30 of 30 for Zell am See, Saalbach and Mayrhofen, 29 of 30 for SkiWelt. You can head there for Christmas if runs with snowmaking are enough for you; do not count on snowy forest and off-piste skiing.
Where there has always been snow over Christmas: glaciers, the Arlberg and Ötztal
Five resorts scored the full 30 of 30 winters 1984/85–2013/14: Mölltaler Gletscher (2,600 m), Obergurgl-Hochgurgl and Hintertuxer Gletscher (2,400 m each), and in the Arlberg St. Anton/St. Christoph/Stuben (2,000 m) and Lech/Zürs (1,900 m). Next come Silvretta Arena Ischgl/Samnaun with 29 and Sölden with 28 of 30. For a Brit flying out for a week between Christmas and New Year who cannot shift the dates, this is the short list to start from.
One example: a couple booked Mayrhofen for the New Year week and found out the resort has 17 snowy Christmases out of 30. Instead of cancelling, they plan day trips to Hintertuxer Gletscher in the same Zillertal, where over the same 30 winters there was enough snow over Christmas every single year.
Slope altitude, not village altitude
Not one of the 24 Austrian resorts with a mid-mountain at 2,000 m or above dropped below 25 snowy Christmases out of 30, while of the 61 resorts below 1,500 m only 3 passed the mark. Mid-mountain sits halfway between the lowest run and the highest run and is tied to the model's height band in steps of 100 m. The Crocus model in the Copernicus C3S dataset calculates snow per NUTS-3 region, so neighbours at the same altitude get the same numbers, like Zell am See and Saalbach. The calculation is set out in full in the methodology.
Snowmaking: all 134 resorts, but with a caveat
Once you add snowmaking, Christmas becomes snowy in 25 or more of 30 winters at all 134 resorts, including Mariazell - Bürgeralpe, which manages only 4 of 30 on natural snow with its mid-mountain at 1,100 m. The model plugs in typical operation of snow guns and piste bashers, not any individual resort's kit. This column shows it was cold enough to make snow; whether the guns cover the whole ski area, only the resort itself knows (methodology).
Austria, Switzerland and France
| Country | Snow-sure (winters 1984/85–2013/14) | Median resort, snowy Christmases out of 30 |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | 62 of 134 | 23 |
| Switzerland | 63 of 95 | 28 |
| France | 30 of 125 | 18 |
Switzerland is higher on average, but the choice of snow-sure resorts in Austria is almost as big. France trails both if you count natural snow at mid-mountain.
Common questions
Where in Europe is the skiing best early in the season?
On the glaciers. At Mölltaler Gletscher continuous snow cover of at least 30 cm of natural snow formed by 31 October in a typical winter of 1984/85–2013/14, at Hintertuxer Gletscher by 14 November.
Can you ski in Austria in October?
On the glaciers you can count on snow from late October: the median start of cover at Mölltaler Gletscher is 31 October, and it holds until 1 July. That is the median of 30 winters 1984/85–2013/14, not a promise for any given year, so before travelling check whether the resort is open.
Which Austrian resort to pick for Christmas and New Year
If holiday snow matters most, go for a mid-mountain at 2,000 m or above: Mölltaler Gletscher, Obergurgl-Hochgurgl, Hintertuxer Gletscher and the Arlberg with St. Anton and Lech/Zürs delivered 30 snowy Christmases out of 30 winters 1984/85–2013/14, Ischgl 29, Sölden 28. Zell am See, Saalbach and SkiWelt at 21 of 30 work if you are happy skiing on runs with snowmaking. Mayrhofen at 17 of 30 is best paired with day trips to Hintertux. The median Austrian resort scored 23 of 30; for Switzerland the figure is 28, for France 18.