Chamonix through the ski season
Typical highs around 2,066 m rise from -2°C / 28°F in January to 7°C / 45°F in April. January has about 13 wet days, while March's stronger-gust count is about 4 days.
Around 1,440 m, March has about 16 freeze-thaw days. Expect the feel of the snow to change between a cold morning and a milder afternoon.
Chamonix has separate ski areas rather than one continuous mountain. Decide which area you will use before reading the forecast: the weather in the valley is only one part of the picture. Plan your Chamonix ski trip →
Compare the months
Typical temperatures are for 2,066 m. The colder-day high is for 2,485 m: roughly one day in ten stays below it. Gust days count modeled gusts of 40 km/h (25 mph) or more and are not adjusted for height.
Swipe the table sideways to see rain, snow and gust days.
What to expect
December afternoons sit near freezing at 2,066 m, while nights are substantially colder.
What to wear
Pack a warm layer for lift rides and cold starts. Choose it for time higher up rather than the temperature when you leave your accommodation.
Jacket and pants for December
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What to expect
January is the coldest month in the weather history.
What to wear
Keep insulation available even when you're warm from skiing. Hands and neck need attention during stops as well as on the descent.
Jacket and pants for January
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What to expect
February is less frequently wet, but cold days higher up remain close to January's.
What to wear
Keep a warm layer for higher runs, where February remains cold. Open vents during harder skiing and close them before the next lift.
Jacket and pants for February
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What to expect
March brings above-freezing afternoons and frequent lower-slope freeze-thaw.
What to wear
Use layers you can change without repacking your whole bag. A cold morning and a warmer descent later may need different combinations.
Jacket and pants for March
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What to expect
April afternoons are the mildest shown, while nights remain below freezing.
What to wear
Start with a lighter base combination and carry a midlayer. A shell gives you flexibility when the day feels warm lower down but cold higher up.
Jacket and pants for April
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Quick answers
How cold is Chamonix during the ski season? Around 2,066 m, January typically has highs of -2°C / 28°F and lows of -8°C / 18°F. The higher-slope cold-day figures are lower than those averages.
What should you wear skiing in Chamonix? Use the monthly clothing advice, then adjust your layers for the current mountain forecast, your activity and how warm you run.
Do these ranges predict snow conditions? These figures combine rain and snow, so they cannot tell you how much fresh snow will be on the pistes. Check the lift operator's snow report and the mountain forecast before your trip.
About the data
The selected slope heights are 1,440 m, 2,066 m and 2,485 m. All three heights share a 6.5 km weather-model cell. Precipitation and gust figures are shared.
These are historical estimates, not a trip forecast. A rain or snow day has at least 1 mm of precipitation. Temperatures are adjusted for slope height; precipitation and 10 m gusts are not. Each data cell is about 6.5 km wide, so conditions on an individual piste can differ.
Sources: Valmassoi et al. (2025), ICON-DREAM v1, DWD Climate Data Center (DOI; CC BY 4.0), downloaded September 9, 2026. Slope locations: OpenSkiMap and OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. See how the clothing guide works.