Check the weather history for the best ski resorts in Europe

Will there be snow at the ski resort? And the wind? For how long? Where is the best skiing at the end of February? These are the questions every skier or snowboarder asks when planning a trip to some ski area or a particular resort.

But the weather forecasts so far cover a period of maximum of 10–14 days, the last of which is already much less accurate than the first few. It is simply impossible to predict the weather well in advance even with the best weather models. But there is a way out — weather history.

In brief, this is the archival section of meteorology, which keeps all the forecasts from the very beginning of the observation period. We can find out what the weather forecast (and the real weather conditions with 95–97% accuracy) was for each day in the past. You can study it to catch patterns, because, as you yourself know, more or less the weather repeats itself from year to year in the same places, which is ultimately called the climate.

So let's go back a couple of years. In this post, we present an archive of forecasts for seven major ski resorts in Europe that we made two years ago for the 2019–20 ski season: Val Thorens, Courchevel, and Alpe D’Huez in France; Chamonix Mont-Blanc between France, Switzerland, and Italy; Kitzbühel in Austria; and Cortina d’Ampezzo in Italy. It covers almost the entire ski season from mid December to mid February — three months.

These forecast should be very useful for you to choose the resort to ski or snowboard depending on the weather conditions, or if you have already done so, the exact dates of your trip and be better prepared for the weather changes. (Given that this is a forecast archive, the text is logically presented in the future tense.)

Val Thorens, France

Val Thorens, France. Sam Mcallister / Unsplash

December 10–15, 2019: The weekend is going to have enough precipitation — it will rain and snow the most on Friday and Saturday. The temperatures are not going to change the whole week — −2 degrees at the height of 2.8 km and 6 degrees at the height of 1.4 km. Wind will become more intense on Friday (with gusts up to 10 m/s) and will maintain the gained intensity through the weekend.
December 16–21: The week in Val Thorens will starts with 1° C at the height of 2.8 km and will end with −2° C there. At the height of 1.4 km it will be rather warm and comfy — 6° ... 9° C. At the same time wind will be gusty (up to 9 m/s) in the beginning of the week, then it will calm down a bit and will speed up again on Friday. Meteorologists expect non-significant mixed precipitation with maximum amount of snow to fall on Saturday (5.2 mm).
December 24–29: The closer to the New Year’s eve, the hotter... Val Thorens follows the trends: temperatures will rise up to 7° C (2.8 km), wind will not be gusty (average speed is 2 m/s), precipitation will fall on Tuesday and Friday.
January 1–5: If you want to see snowfalls, weather will not make you happy this week. You should not expect any significant precipitation in Val Thorens — it will snow a bit only on Sunday and Friday night. Temperatures will be jumping from −3° C on Wednesday to −9° C on Friday and then to −1° C on Sunday (2.8 km). Wind will be gusty (up to 6 m/s) on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
January 13–19: This French ski resort will not surprise you with weather conditions as well. It will snow only on Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday morning there. It will be windy on Wednesday (gusts up to 6 m/s) and on Saturday (gusts up to 6 m/s). It will become colder in the end of the week (up to −16°C at the height of 2.8 km) while in the beginning and in the middle of the week it will be moderately cold (-5...-8° С).
January 20–26: Wind will be gusty at the beginning of the week in Val Thorens (5-7 m/s). This force of nature will become weaker on Wednesday (3-4 m/s), then it will strengthen again on Thursday (5 m/s), and the week will end with just 1-2 m/s. It will snow a bit on Friday, the other days will be cloudy but snowless. As for temperatures, you should expect a wide range of them during the week — from −15°C on Monday to −2°C on Thursday and to −10°C on Sunday (2.8 km).
January 27 — February 2: In Val Thorens, it will also be snowy on Tuesday and Wednesday, but it will rain on Friday. The end of the week will be warmer than the beginning (-3...-1°С vs. −11...-6°C). Wind will maintain the 1-3 m/s speed, but it will have a boost on Tuesday and will reach 7 m/s then.
February 3–9: This French spot is also having a windy week. Tuesday is the windiest day there (gusts will increase up to 30 m/). It is also the only day with snowfall (and rain) this week. Temperature range for the week is −14...-4°С at the height of 2.8 km.
February 10–16: Val Thorens, France will have milder conditions, but still... wind will gust up to 25 m/s there on Monday and up to 28 m/s on Friday. It will rain on Monday and Tuesday there and it will be from −11 to −3 degrees Celsius at the height of 2.8 km.

Val Thorens weather history

Val Thorens weather forecast

Courchevel, France

Courchevel, France. Piotr Figlarz / Unsplash

December 10–15, 2019: One of the legendary resorts in Europe will welcome skiers and snowboarders with mild weather, the temperatures are not expected to fall below −1 °C this week there. At the height of 1.4 km it will be even warmer — about 5 degrees. As for snow, the maximum amount of precipitation is expected on Friday and Saturday (up to 12.6 mm). Wind is not going to be significant, it is not supposed to speed up faster than 2 m/s (gusts up to 3 m/s).
December 16–21: It will be 4 degrees above zero on Monday in Courchevel, then the temperatures will be slowly declining and will be −1 degrees Celsius on Saturday (2.4 km). Snow and rain are expected on Tuesday and Wednesday, then it will snow on Friday and Saturday. Wind is said to be the strongest on Monday, Tuesday and Friday (up to 7 m/s).
December 24–29: Do not expect snowfalls in Courchevel this week. As meteorologists say, it will snow only on Tuesday. It will be partly cloudy or even sunny the other days of the week. Do not expect frosty and windy weather as well: the week will start with −1° C at the height of 2.4 km and will end with 9° C there; gusts will not exceed 3 m/s.
January 1–5: This is going to be a “windless” beginning of the year in Courchevel. The maximum wind speed is 4 m/s and the average speed is 2 m/s this week. It will snow only on Sunday and it will be −7 — 1°С at the height of 2.4 km.
January 13–19: There will be no snowfalls in the beginning of the week in Courchevel, but you will be able to see clear sky with the sun shining bright every day till Friday. Isn’t it great? On Friday, it will become cloudy and snowfall is expected. It will also snow on Saturday. The wind is not expected to be strong this week (gusts up to 4 m/s and only on Saturday). It is said to be about −1... −5 degrees Celsius (2.4 km) till Sunday. Then it will become colder — −14 degrees.
January 20–26: Monday will be the coldest day of the week in Courchevel — −9...-12°С at the height of 2.4 km. Then it will become warmer — 0...-6°С. Monday will be the windiest day as well — gusts will reach 5 m/s. By the end of the week, wind will slow down to 1 m/s. Snow is expected to fall only on Friday (up to 4.9 mm).
January 27 — February 2, 2020: The week in Courchevel will start with a sunny Monday morning and snowfall on Monday night. The snowfall will continue through Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday, it will be sunny again. It will rain on Friday. No precipitation is expected on Saturday and Sunday. The most intense wind is expected on Tuesday (gusts up to 8 m/s). Sunday will be the warmest day of the week with 0...3°С (at the height of 2.4 km).
February 3–9: The week in Courchevel will start with warm weather (0...3°С at the height of 2.4 km), then it will get colder there (-11°C on Tuesday). Snowfall is expected on Tuesday and Wednesday morning. Be careful! The beginning of the week will be super windy! Gusts will speed up to 23 m/s on Tuesday and up to 12 m/s on Wednesday. After that moment of rage, wind is said to calm down a bit.
February 10–16: Another windy week is beginning in Courchevel. On Monday, wind will gust up to 22 m/s. On Tuesday, the maximum wind speed will be 21 m/s during night time and 16 m/s in the morning. On Wednesday, wind will get calmer — it will gust to 10 m/s. Another boost of wind is expected on Thursday night (up to 21 m/s). On Friday, it will also be windy — up to 12 m/s. Saturday and Sunday will let people rest from wind a bit — it will speed up to “only” 7 m/s then. Precipitation (mostly, rain) is expected on Tuesday. It will not be too cold at the height of 2.4 km — temperature will vary from −9°C to 4°C (on Sunday).

Courchevel weather history

Courchevel weather forecast

Alpe d’Huez, France

Alpe d’Huez, France. Filip Bunkens / Unsplash

December 10–15, 2019: The award-winning resort is a place where it will not snow much in the beginning of the week, the significant amount of precipitation is expected only on Thursday, then during the weekend the peak amount of snow will fall (9.6 mm). The temperatures will be −3... −9 degrees at the height of 3.3 km and 4... 10 degrees at the height of 1.1 km. Prepare for wind — it will be as fast as 9 m/s on Friday.
December 16–21: The week will start with −3 degrees and will end with −9 degrees at the height of 3.3 km. The first days of the week will have no snowfalls, although rain is expected on Tuesday and Wednesday. Mixed precipitation is " scheduled" for Friday and it is going to snow on Saturday. Wind will not be gusty (up to 5 m/s on Friday).
December 24–29: Alpe D’Huez will welcome its visitors with rain (up to 8.1 mm), −2 degrees Celsius (2.2 km) and minimally active wind (up to 2 m/s) on Tuesday. Then temperatures are expected to slowly rise — up to 11° C on Sunday. Wind is said to remain not significant and no snowfalls or rains are predicted.
January 1–5: Wednesday and Thursday in Alpe D’Huez are said to be sunny, it will be cloudy on Friday and Saturday and it will snow on Sunday. Temperatures will not go far away from zero (-4 — 2°С) and the strongest wind of the week is expected on Friday night, Saturday and Sunday (gusts up to 6 m/s).
January 13–19: Alpe D’Huez will welcome its guests with cloudless sky, weak wind (up to 2 m/s) and temperatures varying from −4°C to 1°C (2.2 km). In the end of the week it is expected to become colder (-7...-12°C), the wind will be stronger (up to 5 m/s) and it will snow on Saturday and on Sunday.
January 20–26: The similar weather is expected in Alpe D’Huez: Monday will be the coldest day of the week there as well (-7...-11°C at the height of 2.2 km), snow is expected to fall on Friday and Saturday. Wind is not said to be stronger than 4 m/s.
January 27 — February 2, 2020: Alpe D’Huez is also said to have snowfall on Monday night, on Tuesday, and on Wednesday. And rain is expected there on Friday. Thursday will be the point where relatively cold weather (-7...-3°С) turns into relatively warm weather (-1...4°C). The gutsiest wind is expected on Tuesday (up to 7 m/s).
February 3–9: Here is another spot with disappointingly strong wind — Alpe D’Huez. It will gust up to 28 m/s on Tuesday and to 24 m/s on Wednesday. Snowfall is expected on Tuesday. Tuesday and Wednesday will have −10...-6°С at the height of 2.2 km, the rest of the week is expected to be warmer (-6...1°С).
February 10–16: Alpe D’Huez will also have windy conditions... Wind speed is marked red in the app on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. That means that wind speed is likely to exceed 15 m/s on each of these days. Saturday and Sunday will also be gusty (up to 10 m/s). At the same time, it will be cold at the height of 2.2 km — Monday will have from −1°C to 1°C. Tuesday will have from −5°C to 0°C, Wednesday will have from −8°C to −6°C. By the end of the week, it is expected to get warmer — up to 5°C on Sunday. Mixed precipitation is expected on Tuesday.

Alpe d’Huez weather history

Alpe d’Huez weather forecast

Chamonix Mont-Blanc, France, Switzerland, and Italy

Chamonix Mont-Blanc, France, Switzerland, and Italy. Matteo Max Putzolu / Unsplash

December 10–15, 2019: Located near the highest European mountains this ski resort is “offering” you the following weather this week: 0.. −2 °C (2.5 km), up to 11 mm of snow (on Friday), up-to-5-m/s wind (gusts up to 16 m/s on Friday).
December 16–21: The minimum temperature of the week is expected to be −2° C in Chamonix (2.5 km), the maximum temperature will be 1 °C (2.5 km). The second half of the week is said to be colder. Snow is expected on Tuesday (up to 0.4 mm) and on Saturday (up to 4.5 mm). On Monday, Tuesday and Friday skiers and snowboarders should expect wind gusting up to 7 m/s), the other days wind is expected to be less strong (up to 4 m/s).
December 24–29: This part of France is also expecting warmer weather in the end of the week. The thermometers at the height of 2.5 km will display up to 8 degrees Celsius on Sunday. At the height of 1 km it will be up to 17 degrees. You should be ready for snow and rain on Tuesday and for snow on Friday evening and night. The gustiest wind is “scheduled” for Tuesday (up to 4 m/s).
January 1–5: The warmest days of the week in Chamonix are Wednesday and Sunday (about −1 — −3°С), the coldest days are Thursday and Friday (-3 — −7°С). Snow is expected to fall only on Sunday morning. Wind is not expected to be gusty — the maximum speed would be 4 m/s (on Sunday evening).
January 13–19: Guests of Chamonix Mont-Blanc will see clear sky on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. They will witness snowfall on Friday night, on Saturday, and on Sunday morning. Sunday is expected to be the coldest day of the week — it will be −14 degrees Celsius at the height of 2.5 km. Meteorologists do not expect super windy days this week there — the gusts will speed up to “only” 4 m/s.
January 20–26: The warmest days of the week in Chamonix Mont-Blanc are Wednesday and Thursday (-1...-4 degrees Celsius at the height of 2.5 km). The other days, you should expect a bit lower temperatures — up to −15°C on Monday, up to −10°C on Tuesday, up to −7°C on Friday, up to −8°C on Saturday, and up to −7°C on Sunday. It will insignificantly snow only Friday. Wind will have its only gusty moment on Monday night (up to 5 m/s).
January 27 — February 2, 2020: Snowfall in Chamonix will start on Monday night and will last till Wednesday evening. Rain is expected on Friday. Tuesday and Wednesday will bring the strongest wind of the week (gusts up to 10 m/s). Temperatures are said to vary from −10°C to −5°C from Monday to Friday, then it will get warmer −3...0°С (2.5 km).
February 3–9: Furious gusts of wind are expected in Chamonix this week. On Monday, wind will speed up to 22 m/s. On Tuesday, it will be even windier — up to 36 m/s. Wednesday will bring up-to-22-m/s gusts. It will be −13...-8° C on Tuesday and Wednesday and it is expected to get warmer by the end of the week. Precipitation is expected on Tuesday and Wednesday.
February 10–16: Another skiing area with untolerable wind is Chamonix Mont-Blanc. Wind is expected to speed up to more than 38 m/s (in gusts) there this week. Snow is expected on Monday and Tuesday and it will be −10...-5°C at the beginning of the week and −8...3°C at the end of the week (2.5 km).

Chamonix Mont-Blanc weather history

Chamonix Mont-Blanc weather forecast

Zermatt, Switzerland and Italy

Zermatt, Switzerland and Italy. Manuel Hodel / Unsplash

December 10–15, 2019: The weather is going to be stable there, the expected digits on thermometers are −6 (at the height of 3.9 km) and 8 (at the height of 1.6 km). No surprises are expected of snow either (it will be no more than 8.8 mm of snow with the average amount about 5 mm). Wind, on the other hand, is going to be strong (gusts will speed up to 20 m/s on Friday and Saturday).
December 16–21: Stability at its best is expected in Zermatt this week. Thermometers will display −6 degrees Celcius every day at the height of 3.9 km, snow will fall every day as well. As for wind: there will be no windless days. The strongest wind is expected on Monday, Tuesday (up to 6 m/s) and Friday (up to 7 m/s).
December 24–29: The week will also be almost “snowless” in Zermatt: precipitation is expected on Tuesday (up to 6.2 mm) and Friday (up to 8.2 mm), cloudless sky is said to make skiers happy on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. The temperatures at the highest point of the area will very from −6° C to 0° C this week. The “windiest” period of the week is Friday night — gusts will speed up to 6 m/s then.
January 1–5: It is expectedly colder in the higher located Zermatt — −8 — −16°C at the height of 3.9 km. Although, snow is expected only on Sunday there as well. Wind will be gusty on Saturday and Sunday (up to 7 m/s).
January 13–19: The week in Zermatt will be quite similar. It will start with zero precipitation, then it will snow on Friday and Saturday (up to 8.3 mm). The wind is expected to be strong only on Saturday (up to 6 m/s). It will be −10...-14 degrees Celsius at the height of 3.9 km till Saturday. Then it will become colder — −17... −23 degrees.
January 20–26: It will be pretty cold in Zermatt on Monday (up to −23 degrees Celsius at the height of 3.9 km), then temperature will become more “comfortable” — −8...-17 degrees. Saturday and Sunday will be colder than the previous days. Precipitation is expected only on Friday. At the beginning of the week, wind will be 3-4 m/s but it will become weaker on Saturday and on Sunday (1-2 m/s).
January 27 — February 2, 2020: It will be −17 degrees in Zermatt (3.9 km) on Monday and it will be even colder on Wednesday (-19 degrees). Then it will become warmer and the week will end with “just” −6 degrees. Be careful! Very strong wind is expected there on Tuesday, gusts are said to reach 21 m/s! After that stormy day, wind’s speed is not to exceed 5 m/s in gusts. Snowfall is expected on Tuesday and Wednesday.
February 3–9: Zermatt is not a great place to ski this week. Wind is said to be super angry there. On Monday, it will speed up to 33 m/s. On Tuesday, it will speed up to 37 m/s. On Wednesday, it will speed up to 30 m/s. As for snow, snowfall is expected on Tuesday and on Wednesday morning. It will be −22...-17°С (3.9 km) on Tuesday and Wednesday, and it will be −16...-11°С till the end of the week.
February 10–16: Zermatt will have a cold week. It will be −19...-10°C at the beginning of the week there (3.9 km). And wind will be... mind-blowing: its gusts will reach 38 m/s on Tuesday. Even the weekend will be “red”. Snow is expected to fall on Tuesday.

Zermatt weather history

Zermatt weather forecast

Kitzbühel, Austria

Kitzbühel, Austria. Patrick Pahlke / Unsplash

December 10–15, 2019: The resort will be able to boast sunny weather on Wednesday and on Sunday, snow is expected to fall on Thursday and on Friday. On Saturday it will also rain. Wind will gust to no more than 3 m/s and thermometers on the height of 2 km will display the following digits: from −5° C on Tuesday and Thursday and Friday to 3° C on Wednesday and Sunday.
December 16–21: The week in Kitzbühel will starts with sunny afternoon on Monday (sunny weather will happen again on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday) and warm temperatures (at the height of 800 m it will be 11° ...15°C). These conditions will be accompanied by gentle wind (gusts 2-3 m/s) and zero precipitation.
December 24–29: The Austrian resort will have mixed precipitation on Tuesday and Wednesday, then it will rain on Friday and will snow on Saturday. Temperatures are expected to stay below zero, it will get warmer on Sunday (up to 4° C at the height of 2 km). The average speed of wind is expected to be 2-3 m/s (gusts will speed up to 8 m/s at two time slots: Tuesday night and Wednesday night).
January 1–5: Kitzbühel will welcome its guests with −1 — −8 degrees Celsius and cloudless sky. It will become cloudy on Saturday and will snow on Saturday evening and Sunday. Wind will be gentle, however, it will become gusty (up to 7 m/s) on Friday evening and Sunday morning.
January 13–19: Sunny and nice weather is expected in Kitzbühel this week. It will not snow and it will be −1...-6°С till Saturday. Then it will become snowy and colder (up to −10°C). Wind will be weak the whole week (gusts up to 3 m/s).
January 20–26: Another resort where no snowfalls are expected is Kitzbühe. This Austrian spot will welcome its guests with cold weather and treat them with 0...-8 degrees Celsius during the week (2 km). Wind is expected to be negligibly weak — 1-2 m/s.
January 27 — February 2, 2020: This Austrian resort will welcome its guests with −7...-1°С at the height of 2 km. By the end of the week, it will get warmer — 1...4°С. Windy hours are expected on Tuesday (12 m/s) and on Wednesday (9-10 m/s). Snow will fall on Tuesday, on Wednesday, on Thursday morning. Rain is expected on Friday and on Saturday night.
February 3–9: Kitzbühel, Austria, will have rain on Monday, rain and snow on Tuesday and snow on Wednesday. Monday wind will be strong (up to 13 m/s), Tuesday wind will be stronger (up to 28 m/s). On Wednesday, it will also be gusty — up to 16 m/s. Monday will bring −3...0 degrees Celsius, then it will get colder — −18...-10°С.
February 10–16: Let’s start with temperature this time. It will not be very cold in Kitzbühel, thermometers will display −10...0°C at the height of 2 km. It will be sunny on Wednesday and rainy on Tuesday. And here we are again: wind will be very strong there! It will gust up to 21 m/s on Monday and up to 27 m/s on Tuesday.

Kitzbühel weather history

Kitzbühel weather forecast

Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy

Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Marco Czollmann / Unsplash

December 10–15, 2019: The place that hosted The Winter Olympics once is expected to have the following weather this week: temperatures from −3 to −6 degrees at the height of 2.9 km, cloudless sky on Tuesday and Sunday and cloudy sky with minimal precipitation the other days, wind that will not be faster than 4 m/s.
December 16–21: No snowfalls are expected this week in Cortina but it will rain much. The maximum amount of precipitation is said to fall on Thursday, on Friday and on Saturday. The temperatures at the height of 2.9 km are going to vary from −3 degrees to −6 degrees Celsius. Wind will blow quite gently (gusts are not going to exceed the speed of 3 m/s).
December 24–29: Cortina is expected to have stable temperatures (-6 degrees Celsius at the height of 2.9 km) with some rise on Sunday (up to 0°C). Snow is said to fall on Wednesday (up to 0.3 mm) and Friday night (up to 1 mm). The strongest wind is scheduled for Wednesday (gusts up to 5 m/s).
January 1–5: The week will be snowless in Cortina. If look up in the sky, you will likely see no clouds there until Saturday evening. Wind is going to be almost absent this week as well, however, on Sunday, it will occasionally become gusty (up to 14 m/s). Temperatures are expected to stay within this range — −5 — −11° С (2.9 km).
January 13–19: In Cortina, the third week of January will start with zero precipitation, no wind and −8...-12 degrees Celsius (at the height of 2.9 km). It will snow on Saturday and Sunday (up to 9.2 mm) and it will become a bit colder then (up to −15° C). Wind will also stop being so quiet — it will speed up to 5 m/s on Sunday.
January 20–26: Cortina D’Ampezzo will follow the trends: cold Monday and Tuesday (up to −19°C), warmer Wednesday and Thursday (-6...-10°С), and somewhat-in-between weekend (-8...-12°С); minimally active wind (1-2 m/s) and the once in a week Friday snowfall (if we may put it so...).
January 27 — February 2, 2020: The week in Cortina D’Ampezzo will be less snowy. It will snow only on Tuesday there. Temperatures will vary greatly. At the height of 2.9 km, it will be from −3°C to −16°C. Wind is not going to be strong, it will gust up to 6 m/s only on Wednesday midday.
February 3–9: Yes, Italy is also going to face this furious wind. Wind will be gusty on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The maximum speed will be reached on Wednesday (up to 30 m/s). Rain is expected on Monday and snow is expected on Tuesday evening and on Wednesday. It will be rather cold at the height of 2.9 km — −16...-8 °С.
February 10–16: In Cortina, Monday and early Tuesday will be super windy (up to 18 m/s) but then it will get more “acceptable” (wind will speed up to 10 m/s on Wednesday and Thursday). On Friday, it will become windy again (up to 18 m/s). Saturday and Sunday will have 10-m/s gusts. Snowfall is not expected these week, but a few sunny days are expected (if that can help). Temperature will mostly stay within the “-12...-9°C” range.

Cortina d’Ampezzo weather history

Cortina d’Ampezzo weather forecast

These weather forecast were originally published on the Windy.app blog between mid December 2019 and mid February 2020.

Text: Windy.app, Ivan Kuznetsov

Cover photo: Yann Allegre / Unsplash