Ski resort in South Tyrol, Italy

Val Gardena

Q: Does Val Gardena have snow at Christmas?

Val Gardena had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on Christmas Day in 9 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025 at mid-mountain. Fresh snow fell during 20 to 26 December in 7 of those years.

Q: Does Val Gardena have snow at New Year?

Val Gardena had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on New Year's Day in 9 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025 at mid-mountain. Fresh snow fell during 27 December to 2 January in 5 of those years.

Q: Does Val Gardena have snow in mid-February?

Val Gardena had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on 15 February in every one of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025 at mid-mountain. Fresh snow fell during 10 to 20 February in 9 of those years.

Q: Does Val Gardena have snow at Easter?

Val Gardena had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on Easter Sunday in 8 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025 at mid-mountain. Fresh snow fell during Good Friday to Easter Monday in 6 of those years.

Q: How many days a year does it snow in Val Gardena?

It snows on about 52 days a year in Val Gardena at mid-mountain, counting days with at least 1 cm of snowfall, averaged over 2016 to 2025. March has the most, about 8 days.

Q: What is the snowiest month in Val Gardena?

November is the snowiest month in Val Gardena, bringing about 19% of the year's snowfall at mid-mountain, based on ERA5 reanalysis data for 2016 to 2025. March has the most snowy days, about 8.

Q: Which recent winter was the snowiest in Val Gardena?

Of the last ten winters in Val Gardena, 2020/21 was the snowiest, about 46% above the ten-year average. The leanest was 2016/17, about 44% below average.

Q: How cold does Val Gardena get in winter?

January is the coldest month in Val Gardena at mid-mountain, with average daily lows of −12 °C (10 °F) and highs of −2 °C (28 °F).

Q: How high is Val Gardena?

The village or lowest lift at Val Gardena is at 1,236 m (4,100 ft) and the top lift is at 2,518 m (8,300 ft), a vertical drop of 1,282 m (4,200 ft).

Q: When does the ski season start in Val Gardena?

The lifts at Val Gardena usually open in early December and close in early April. Exact dates change each year with the snow, so check the resort's own website before you book.

A Ladin-speaking valley in South Tyrol, on the Sella Ronda circuit and home to the Saslong World Cup downhill.

Val Gardena snow forecast at 2,518 m (top lift)

Out of season.

Forecasts for Val Gardena pause outside the snow season and start again in October. The lifts usually run from early December to early April. The snow record below shows when it usually snows here.

Where is Val Gardena?

Autonomous province: South Tyrol
Country: Italy
Mountains: Alps, Dolomites
Area: Dolomiti Superski
Village: 1,236 m
Top lift: 2,518 m
Vertical: 1,282 m
Pistes: 181 km
Lifts: 78
Season: Early December to Early April
Official: Webcams, Avalanche bulletin
Pass: Ikon Pass
Website: www.valgardena.it

About Val Gardena

Val Gardena’s main villages are Ortisei, Santa Cristina and Selva, and most locals speak Ladin. The valley is part of the Sella Ronda ski circuit around the Sella massif. Its longest run, La Longia, is over 10 km long.

The Saslong has hosted a men’s World Cup downhill almost every year since 1969, and the valley hosted the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in 1970.

The snow

Val Gardena’s three villages, Ortisei, Santa Cristina and Selva, sit between 1,236 m and 1,563 m under the Sassolungo, and the lifts reach 2,518 m. Like the rest of the Dolomites it is dry: in our record it snows on about 6 to 8 days a month at mid-mountain through the winter, and the pistes rely on snowmaking, which here is comprehensive. Late winter is the best bet, with March and April the snowiest months in the record. Snow was on the ground on nine of the last ten Christmas Days.

Who it suits

Intermediates who want to tour: the Sella Ronda circuit around the Sella massif starts from Selva, and the Dolomiti Superski pass opens up hundreds of lifts. The Saslong World Cup downhill is the one steep classic. The villages are pretty and Ladin-speaking, and the food is a reason to come on its own.

Getting there

Innsbruck airport is about two hours by road, Verona and Venice about two and a half. Trains reach Bolzano or Chiusa, with buses up the valley.

When does it snow in Val Gardena?

In Val Gardena, snow falls on about 8 days in March in a typical year, the snowiest month. Snow is regular from October to May.

Average days per month with at least 1 cm of snowfall in Val Gardena at mid-mountain, 2016–2025
January	February	March	April	May	June	July	August	September	October	November	December
7 days	6 days	8 days	7 days	6 days	<1 days	0 days	<1 days	2 days	2 days	7 days	7 days

Average days each month with at least 1 cm of snowfall at mid-mountain, 2016–2025. Calculated from ERA5 reanalysis data.

Snow in Val Gardena month by month

Averages for 2016 to 2025 at mid-mountain, from ERA5 reanalysis data.

Average snow days, share of annual snowfall and temperature by month in Val Gardena, 2016 to 2025
Month	Snow days	Share of the year's snow	Low to high
January	7	10%	−12 to −2 °C (10 to 28 °F)
February	6	11%	−9 to 0 °C (16 to 32 °F)
March	8	13%	−7 to 2 °C (19 to 36 °F)
April	7	14%	−4 to 6 °C (25 to 43 °F)
May	6	10%	0 to 10 °C (32 to 50 °F)
June	<1	0%	6 to 17 °C (43 to 63 °F)
July	0	0%	7 to 18 °C (45 to 64 °F)
August	<1	1%	7 to 18 °C (45 to 64 °F)
September	2	2%	4 to 13 °C (39 to 55 °F)
October	2	5%	0 to 9 °C (32 to 48 °F)
November	7	19%	−6 to 3 °C (21 to 37 °F)
December	7	15%	−9 to −1 °C (16 to 30 °F)

Snow in Val Gardena in October

In October, Val Gardena gets snow on about 2 days at mid-mountain, and the month brings about 5% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from 0 to 9 °C (32 to 48 °F).

Snow in Val Gardena in November

In November, Val Gardena gets snow on about 7 days at mid-mountain, and the month brings about 19% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −6 to 3 °C (21 to 37 °F).

Snow in Val Gardena in December

In December, Val Gardena gets snow on about 7 days at mid-mountain, and the month brings about 15% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −9 to −1 °C (16 to 30 °F).

Snow in Val Gardena in January

In January, Val Gardena gets snow on about 7 days at mid-mountain, and the month brings about 10% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −12 to −2 °C (10 to 28 °F).

Snow in Val Gardena in February

In February, Val Gardena gets snow on about 6 days at mid-mountain, and the month brings about 11% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −9 to 0 °C (16 to 32 °F).

Snow in Val Gardena in March

In March, Val Gardena gets snow on about 8 days at mid-mountain, and the month brings about 13% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −7 to 2 °C (19 to 36 °F).

Snow in Val Gardena in April

In April, Val Gardena gets snow on about 7 days at mid-mountain, and the month brings about 14% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −4 to 6 °C (25 to 43 °F).

Snow in Val Gardena in May

In May, Val Gardena gets snow on about 6 days at mid-mountain, and the month brings about 10% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from 0 to 10 °C (32 to 50 °F).

Which winters were snowiest in Val Gardena?

Of the last ten winters in Val Gardena, 2020/21 was the snowiest, about 46% above the ten-year average at mid-mountain. The leanest was 2016/17, about 44% below average. The biggest single day of snowfall in the record was 5 December 2020.

Snowfall in Val Gardena for each of the last ten winters, as a percentage of the ten-year average
Winter	Compared with average
2016/17		56% of average
2017/18		114% of average
2018/19		123% of average
2019/20		133% of average
2020/21		146% of average
2021/22		79% of average
2022/23		83% of average
2023/24		128% of average
2024/25		75% of average
2025/26		62% of average

Winters are compared with each other rather than given in centimetres. The ERA5 record is reliable on which winters were big and which were lean, but it underestimates absolute snowfall in the mountains, so the resort's own measured totals are the ones to trust for amounts.

Questions about snow in Val Gardena

Does Val Gardena have snow at Christmas?