Top snow depths guaranteed: The world’s snowiest ski resorts

Snow is part of winter sports. Especially when it comes to conquering the slopes of the high mountains around the globe with skis or snowboards. And for all those who want to be on the safe side when it comes to snow reliability, SnowTrex has now compiled the ten snowiest ski resorts in the world based on historical weather data and expert estimates. From Oceania to Asia to Europe and North America, top snow depths are almost guaranteed here!

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The top 10 snowiest ski resorts in the world at a glance

Country	Ski resort	Average annual snowfall
New Zealand	Tasman Glacier	approx. 50 metres
Japan	Gassan	approx. 35 metres
Austria	Mölltaler Gletscher	approx. 21 metres
USA	Mount Baker	approx. 18 metres
France	Chamonix	approx. 15 metres
USA	Alta	approx. 13 metres
Switzerland	Engelberg-Titlis	approx. 12 metres
Norway	Røldal	approx. 11 metres
France	Les Arcs/Peisey-Vallandry	approx. 11 metres
Austria	Warth-Schröcken	approx. 11 metres

1. Tasman Glacier – New Zealand

This figure is truly impressive: at the Tasman Glacier (3,000 m) in New Zealand, experts estimate the annual snowfall at around 50 metres! There are no precise figures available from here, as the glacier has no weather station. The ski run on the glacier, which is just under 23.5 km long, can only be reached by air, either by helicopter or small aircraft. Why is that? Quite simply: with such vast amounts of snow, it is simply impossible to build a ski resort on the eternal ice. The lifts would simply sink, not to mention the winter sports enthusiasts.

2. Ski resort Gassan – Japan

In Yukiguni, Japan – which translates as “Land of Snow” – in the west of the main island of Honshu, experts estimate an average of just under 35 metres of fresh snow per year, due to the lack of weather stations! Due to these extreme weather conditions, most areas of the Japanese Alps are inaccessible to humans, and therefore uninhabitable, particularly in winter. One exception is the ski resort around the summit of the 1,983-metre-high Mount Gassan. Because of the sheer volume of snow, this is also a summer-only ski resort, whose slopes can only be groomed and opened from April to July.

3. Ski resort Mölltaler Gletscher – Austria

No weather station in Austria has recorded more fresh snow since the early 1970s than the summit of the Hoher Sonnblick (3,106 m). In the Carinthia region, the historical average here is over 21 metres of fresh snow per year. The icy mountain is not developed for skiers, which is why they have to head to the Mölltal Glacier instead. The ski resort is just 4 km from the summit and offers 17.4 km of slopes at an altitude of 2,108 to 3,112 m. This makes it a very reliable destination for snow and it is in high demand among winter sports enthusiasts even outside the actual peak season.

4. Ski resort Mount Baker – USA

“Plenty of snow” is also the order of the day at the Mount Baker ski resort in the US state of Washington. Just a two-hour drive from Seattle and Vancouver, winter sports enthusiasts can expect an average of 18 metres of snow per year here. Across 400 hectares, skiers and snowboarders will find slopes of all levels of difficulty. And those who prefer to venture off-piste will be delighted by the fantastic deep-snow conditions for freeriders.

5. Ski resort Chamonix – France

In Chamonix, Mont Blanc (4,809 m) naturally towers above everything else. Winters at the foot of Europe’s highest mountain are correspondingly snowy. On average, weather stations in the ski resort record more than 15 metres of fresh snow per year. Just a few kilometres from the Italian border, a total of 172 kilometres of slopes await skiers and snowboarders, starting at an altitude of up to 3,275 m. A technical highlight in one of the continent’s highest-altitude ski resorts is the cable car to the summit of the Aiguille du Midi (3,842 m). From the mountain station at 3,777 m, visitors are treated to a unique panoramic view of the stunning Alpine landscape on a clear day.The following video shows how versatile winter sports in Chamonix and around the Mont Blanc massif can be in the cold season:

6. Ski resort Alta – USA

The Mormon state of Utah is home to one of the snowiest ski resorts in the USA. In Alta (2,609 m), the meteorologists of the American Weather Service have measured an average of 13 m of new snow in winter over the past 110 years. For winter sports enthusiasts, the slopes on the mountain slopes are a true snow paradise. And especially in the deep snow areas, freeriders find “pure powder”. Due to the low humidity, the snow in the Alta ski area contains only slightly more than 8 percent water, which turns it into fantastic powder snow!

7. Ski resort Engelberg-Titlis – Switzerland

The monastery community in Central Switzerland has plenty of culture to offer, but above all one thing: snow, snow and more snow! After all, the Engelberg-Titlis ski resort is considered one of the most snow-reliable in the whole of Switzerland. At the summit (3,020 m) around the Titlis Glacier, meteorologists have recorded an average of around 12 metres of fresh snow in winter over recent years. The 82 kilometres of slopes are correspondingly popular and can also be easily reached by train.

8. Ski resort Røldal – Norway

Outside the Alps, Fjord Norway is the place in Europe best known for its abundant snowfall. In the far north, the ski resort above the village of Røldal is very popular with winter sports enthusiasts, as it receives an average of 11 metres of fresh snow per year. The Norwegian Patent Office therefore officially designates the municipality as “Europe’s snowiest place”. Elsewhere, however, this title is rather controversial, as one or two places in the Alps also lay claim to it. One thing is certain, though: there is plenty of snow in Røldal.

9. Ski resort Les Arcs/Peisey-Vallandry – France

The ski resorts in the French Alps are traditionally regarded as the snowiest in the whole of Europe, and Les Arcs/Peisey-Vallandry is no exception. An average of 11 metres of fresh snow per winter makes the slopes on the edge of the Vanoise National Park a real “snow paradise”. And that’s by no means meant in a negative way! After all, almost 200 kilometres of slopes await skiers and snowboarders at altitudes of up to 3,226 metres.

10. Ski resort Warth-Schröcken – Austria

A true winter wonderland awaits winter sports enthusiasts in the Warth-Schröcken ski resort in Vorarlberg, Austria. Here at the Hochtannberg Pass, an average of 11 metres of fresh snow falls each year. This ensures excellent snow conditions across the 35 kilometres of slopes at altitudes of up to 2,050 metres. This means that skiing in the Bregenzerwald is possible for almost five months, from early December to late April.Drone footage shows winter sports enthusiasts how the large amounts of fresh snow make Warth-Schröcken in Vorarlberg one of Austria’s most snow-reliable ski resorts year after year:

FAQ’s on the world’s snowiest ski resorts

In which ski resort does the most snow fall worldwide?

The Tasman Glacier in the New Zealand Alps is not considered a ski resort, per se. After all, weather experts estimate that at an altitude of 3,000 m and thanks to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, up to 50 m of new snow fall here on average per year. Because of the sheer amount of snow, there are no lifts on the ice giant and only one downhill run, which can only be reached from the air by helicopter or small plane.

Where is there the most fresh snow in Austria?

Since the 1970s, the highest weather station in Austria has been measuring the snow depth on the Hohe Sonnblick (3,106 m) in the province of Carinthia. The result makes the summit the snowiest place in the Alpine Republic to this day, with an average of over 21 m of new snow per year. The nearest skiing area at the Mölltal Glacier is only 4 km away and is therefore very popular with winter sports enthusiasts.

Which ski resort has the most snow in North America?

The snowiest ski area in North America is not in the world-famous Rocky Mountains, but on the US Pacific coast. At Mount Baker in Washington State, winter sports enthusiasts can expect an average of 18 m of new snow per year. In addition, the mountain is only a two-hour drive from Seattle as well as Vancouver (Canada) and can therefore be reached quickly.