Snow-covered glaciers, spectacular deep snow regions and perfectly groomed pistes: thanks to constant snowfall and favourable climatic conditions, France not only boasts the highest mountain in the Alps, Mont Blanc (4,809 m). It also has many other regions where there is absolutely no shortage of snow in winter. But where exactly are they? To answer this question, SnowTrex has analysed its weather data and shows in which French ski resorts a total of up to 16.1 m of snow fell in the 2022/2023 winter season.
The 10 snowiest ski resorts in France in 2022/2023 at a glance
| Ski area/ski region | Places | Fresh snow mountain season 2022/2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Chamonix | Chamonix | 16,09 m |
| Espace Diamant | Praz sur Arly | 16,09 m |
| Les Arcs/Peisey-Vallandry | Les Arcs / Peisey-Vallandry | 11,83 m |
| Les 2 Alpes | Les 2 Alpes | 11,51 m |
| La Plagne | Les Coches / La Plagne | 11,38 m |
| Alpe d’Huez Grand Domaine Ski | Alpe d’Huez / Auris / Vaujany | 10,96 m |
| Tignes – Val d’Isère | Tignes / Val d’Isère | 10,27 m |
| Les Menuires – Saint Martin | Les Menuires / St. Martin de Belleville | 9,75 m |
| Val Thorens – Orelle | Val Thorens / Orelle | 9,34 m |
| Méribel | Méribel | 8,72 m |
The 10 snowiest ski resorts in France 2021/2022 at a glance
| Ski area/ski region | Places | Fresh snow mountain season 2021/2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Chamonix | Les Houches / Chamonix / Vallorcine | 15,11 m |
| Espace Diamant | Praz sur Arly | 15,11 m |
| Alpe d’Huez Grand Domaine Ski | Alpe d’Huez / Auris / Vaujany | 11,51 m |
| Les Arcs/Peisey-Vallandry | Peisey-Vallandry / Les Arcs | 11,36 m |
| La Plagne | Les Coches / La Plagne | 11,01 m |
| Les 2 Alpes | Les 2 Alpes | 10,89 m |
| Les Menuires – Saint Martin | Les Menuires / St. Martin de Belleville | 10,15 m |
| Val Thorens – Orelle | Val Thorens / Orelle | 9,75 m |
| Tignes – Val d’Isère | Tignes / Val d’Isère | 9,60 m |
| Méribel | Méribel / Brides les Bains | 9,14 m |
The 10 snowiest ski resorts in France 2020/2021 at a glance
| Ski area/ski region | Places | Fresh snow mountain season 2020/2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Chamonix | Les Houches / Chamonix / Vallorcine | 14,47 m |
| Espace Diamant | Praz sur Arly | 14,47 m |
| Les 2 Alpes | Les 2 Alpes | 10,88 m |
| Alpe d’Huez Grand Domaine Ski | Alpe d’Huez / Auris / Vaujany | 10,67 m |
| Les Arcs/Peisey-Vallandry | Peisey-Vallandry / Les Arcs | 10,64 m |
| La Plagne | Les Coches / La Plagne | 10,28 m |
| Les Menuires – Saint Martin | Les Menuires / St. Martin de Belleville | 9,29 m |
| Val Thorens – Orelle | Val Thorens / Orelle | 8,93 m |
| Tignes – Val d’Isère | Tignes / Val d’Isère | 8,74 m |
| La Clusaz-Manigod | La Clusaz | 8,66 m |
Want to know how much snow there is currently in France? SnowTrex knows the current snow depths in France.
FAQ about snow statistics in France
How much snow falls in France?
A lot of snow traditionally falls in the high mountains in France in winter. The 2022/23 season was no exception and at least the peak values were higher than in the previous year. The ski resorts of Chamonix and Espace Diamant (Praz sur Arly) were the frontrunners here, with a total of 16.09 metres of snow falling between the end of September and the beginning of April. With 11.83 metres, the Les Arcs/Peisey-Vallandry ski area came in 2nd place in this category, while the Les 2 Alpes ski area “completed” the podium with a total of 11.51 metres of snow.
Where does the most snow fall worldwide?
The world’s snowiest region is in the west of the main Japanese island of Honshu. Historically, the mountains of the Japanese Alps have seen an average of between 30 and 38 metres of fresh snowfall per year!
When did the French Alps see the most snow?
The snowiest year since weather records began in the French Alps was 1980, when the region on the border with Italy and Switzerland had snow on a total of 202 out of 365 days, and on 133 days the snow cover was even over 1 metre high.
