Ski Austria
Welcome to the Ski Austria page, providing a regular round-up of the skiing conditions and current snow reports for the main ski resorts in the Austrian Alps. Over recent years some of the most consistent good piste conditions have been reported at Kaprun, Zurs, Obergurgl, St Anton, Hintertux, Neustift, Lech and Pitztal showing a mix of glacial resorts and those most exposed to prevailing storm tracks.
However, in any given week or season the best slope conditions may be found at any of the other high Austrian resorts or at lower elevation ski stations in poor weather. For off-piste powder, resorts such as Kuhtai, Kaprun, Galtur, St Anton, Lech, Zurs, Obertauern and Ischgl have proven among the most consistent over the seasons, either brought on by regular snowfalls, favourable sun aspect or for not getting tracked out quickly. It is worth noting that while St Anton is an off-piste mecca it does get extremely busy and the lift accessed routes get tracked very quickly, however, it does benefit from regular heavy snowfalls.
Austrians have a very relaxed policy when it comes to skiing or boarding off-piste, however it is important to observe the warnings because Austria has its fair share of avalanche fatalities. Check out the snow reports below for the latest news as conditions change quickly in the Alps. Generally the best snow conditions arrive in Austria with weather systems tracking in from the north and northwest but you can expect snow from any direction producing reliable snow cover at most of the higher altitude resorts.
Austria is one of the world’s six leading ski nations and has played a crucial role in the development of downhill skiing over the past century.
There are more than 600 Austrian ski resorts of all sizes that fill every corner of the country, from the famous mountainous regions of Tirol and Stiermark in the West to the rolling hills of Eastern Austria.
Unlike in its Alpine neighbours, purpose build ski resorts are a real rarity in Austria. Although many of the country’s most famous resorts have been 95% built from scratch due to their success and expansion over the past 60 years, almost all new building is to strict planning regulations in the classic chalet style so villages always look attractive and it’s hard to know what is 2 years old and what 200.
Critics of Austrian skiing say that as a result of not building ski resorts on mountain tops most Austrian resorts are low – ranging from perhaps 600 to 1000m above sea level, and often their top lifts are below 2000m – which, the argument goes, can be bad news for snow cover.
In fact one of the most famous resorts criticised for that, Kitzbühel, published stats showing that their snow cover is little changed in the past 50 years. Perhaps, on average, arriving a day sooner and ending a day later than in the 1960s, but otherwise fairly constant.
Austria also beats its neighbours, and indeed any other country in the world, for glacier skiing. For much of those seven months of the year from May to November when few ski areas are open, up to eight glacier ski areas are open to ski Austria when no more than three are open in any other country north of the equator. These include the country’s highest ski lift at Pitztal Glacier 3440m.
Skiing in Austria was the most popular destination choice for British skiers in the 1970s and 1980s and remains second most popular after France. It lacks the vast ski areas of the French Alps – the largest region the slightly tenuous connection between the 280km of the Skiwelt and 160km or so around Kitzbühel, but Austria’s fans point out the terrain is more varied with runs down through the forest; friendly wooden mountain restaurants to stop off at, rather than vast motorway-services style concrete-cafeterias, and prices are generally 10 or 20% less for a lift ticket too.
The fore-runner of the style of downhill skiing we all enjoy today actually began in those smaller hills near Vienna. Pioneer Mathias Zdarsky developed it from the Norwegian Telemark technique invented 40 years earlier in to the first ‘Alpine’ style in 1905 and taught thousands of people the basics, many in huge 100+ people classes. Within a few years the Arlberg technique had appeared in St Anton, pioneered this time by one Johann ‘Hannes’ Schneider, which further developed downhill and popularised skiing worldwide as Schneider appeared in films and took the invention to Japan before going to the US when asked to support the Nazis. Instead he helped train the US Army mountain division, veterans from which were in turn behind the post-war development of ski areas in the Western US states like Colorado. read more...
View all photos of Austria (589)
Austria: latest snow conditions round-up
INTRODUCTION A handful of locations across Europe welcomed further snowfall this week. This included various locations in Austria, southern French resorts, the Milky Way region in Italy, Bulgaria and Andorra. This once again refreshed the already fantastic pistes and skiers and boarders were treated once again to fresh powder on and off-piste. Although Switzerland so far has not received any fresh snowfall this week, the cold temperatures have ensured the piste conditions remained in excellent quality.
AUSTRIA The conditions at our featured Austrian resorts are largely fantastic following further fresh snow that fell over many resorts on Tuesday 7th February. Such places included Obertauern (230/310cm) and Solden (48/263cm) which both enjoyed a healthy 10cm on that day. On Thursday 9th February there was much cloud cover across the Austrian resorts. In some locations the sun was attempting to burn through to create a clear day, like at Mayrhofen (20/190cm), whilst in a handful of resorts the cloud was low and thick so the possibility of fresh snow was likely. Ellmau (90/270cm), for example, is forecast to receive 5cm by the end of this week, which would nicely refresh the already excellent pistes.
Ski resorts in Austria from A to I
| Resort | Webcam (click to zoom) |
Top and bottom snow depth |
On-piste | Off-piste | Forecast snow in next 3 days (click for forecast) |
Weather forecast for 3 days ahead Weather report |
Last snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abtenau |
260 cm 115 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 10 Feb | ||
| Achenkirch am Achensee |
|
180 cm 110 cm |
Packed | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 7 Feb | |
| Admont/Kaiserau |
190 cm 170 cm |
Packed | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 9 Feb | ||
| Aflenz |
160 cm 70 cm |
Packed | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 8 Feb | ||
| Alberschwende |
|
70 cm 30 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 2 Feb | |
| Alpbachtal |
200 cm 80 cm |
Excellent | Fresh | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow Overcast skies |
5 cm on 7 Feb |
|
| Alpl bei Krieglach |
100 cm 80 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 23 Jan | ||
| Altaussee |
|
350 cm 110 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 7 Feb | |
| Andelsbuch |
160 cm 15 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 10 Feb | ||
| Annaberg |
190 cm 90 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 10 Feb | ||
| Arabichl/Kirchberg am Wechse | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
|||||
| Arnoldstein/Dreilaendereck |
50 cm 30 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 10 Feb | ||
| Auffach | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
|||||
| Axamer Lizum |
|
140 cm 100 cm |
Excellent | Varied | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow A cloudy start, chance of sun later |
3 cm on 2 Feb |
| Bad Gastein |
180 cm 60 cm |
Excellent | Fresh | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow Overcast skies |
5 cm on 7 Feb |
|
| Bad Hofgastein |
|
180 cm 60 cm |
Excellent | Fresh | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow Overcast skies |
5 cm on 7 Feb |
| Bad Ischl/Katrin | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
|||||
| Bad Kleinkirchheim |
|
95 cm 60 cm |
Excellent | Varied | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow Predominantly sunny with cloudy spells |
10 cm on 7 Feb |
| Berg in the Drautal/Emberger Alm |
70 cm 25 cm |
Packed | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 8 Feb | ||
| Bergeralm |
100 cm 70 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 21 Jan | ||
| Berwang-Bichlbach-Rinnen |
220 cm 170 cm |
Packed | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 10 Feb | ||
| Biberwier |
200 cm 100 cm |
Powder | Powder | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 9 Feb | |
| Bizau | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
|||||
| Bodental |
|
70 cm 40 cm |
Powder | Powder | 2 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 7 Feb |
| Brandnertal |
220 cm 90 cm |
Excellent | Tracked | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow Another glorious day |
2 cm on 2 Feb |
|
| Bregenz/Pfaender |
5 cm 25 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 3 Feb | ||
| Brixen im Thale |
270 cm 120 cm |
Excellent | Powder | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow Cloudy this morning, clearing later |
0 cm on 5 Feb |
|
| Dachstein Glacier |
|
480 cm 480 cm |
Powder | Powder | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 7 Feb |
| Dalaas | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
|||||
| Damüls |
|
285 cm 235 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 10 Feb | |
| Defereggental/St Jakob |
90 cm 75 cm |
Powder | Powder | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 7 Feb | |
| Diedamskopf |
290 cm 100 cm |
Powder | Powder | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 24 Jan | |
| Dienten | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
|||||
| Dobratsch | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
|||||
| Donnersbachwald |
|
230 cm 110 cm |
Packed | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 10 Feb | |
| Dreilaendereck |
|
0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
||||
| Durrnberg | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
|||||
| Eben/Monte Popolo |
195 cm 120 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 10 Feb | ||
| Ebensee am Traunsee |
335 cm 335 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
Mostly dry |
on 10 Feb | ||
| Eberstein-Saualpe |
30 cm 10 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 24 Jan | ||
| Ehrwald |
|
100 cm 90 cm |
Packed | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 2 Feb | |
| Ehrwalder Alm |
|
200 cm 100 cm |
Packed | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 28 Jan | |
| Ellmau |
270 cm 120 cm |
Good | Powder | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow Cloudy this morning, clearing later |
0 cm on 10 Feb |
|
| Embach/Hoerndl |
120 cm 100 cm |
Packed | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 7 Feb | ||
| Etmissl | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
|||||
| Falkert |
|
70 cm 50 cm |
Powder | Powder | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 7 Feb |
| Fanningberg |
200 cm 140 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 7 Feb | ||
| Fendels |
176 cm 70 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 2 Feb | ||
| Fieberbrunn |
|
270 cm 130 cm |
Excellent | Fresh | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow Cloudy today, snow possible |
5 cm on 7 Feb |
| Filzmoos |
|
270 cm 190 cm |
Excellent | Fresh | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow A cloudy start, chance of sun later |
8 cm on 7 Feb |
| Finkenberg |
190 cm 45 cm |
Excellent | Fresh | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow Overcast skies |
3 cm on 7 Feb |
|
| Fiss |
275 cm 130 cm |
Excellent | Fresh | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow Partly cloudy, some sunny spells |
5 cm on 7 Feb |
|
| Flachau-Reitdorf |
265 cm 120 cm |
Excellent | Fresh | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow Cloudy today, snow possible |
5 cm on 7 Feb |
|
| Flachauwinkl-Kleinarl |
270 cm 125 cm |
Packed | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 7 Feb | ||
| Fladnitz/Teichalm |
|
65 cm 55 cm |
Powder | Powder | 2 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 9 Feb |
| Flattach | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
|||||
| Flattnitz |
|
70 cm 60 cm |
Packed | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 7 Feb | |
| Fontanella-Faschina |
|
340 cm 240 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 10 Feb | |
| Forstau/Fageralm |
|
250 cm 90 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 10 Feb | |
| Fügen/Spieljoch |
320 cm 15 cm |
Excellent | Varied | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow Overcast skies |
20 cm on 24 Jan |
|
| Fulpmes |
|
190 cm 60 cm |
Powder | Powder | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 24 Jan |
| Furx |
40 cm 80 cm |
Packed | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 10 Feb | ||
| Füssener-Jöchle-Grän | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
|||||
| Gaal/Gaaler Lifte |
70 cm 50 cm |
Packed | 3 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 7 Feb | ||
| Gaberl/Stubalpe-Salla |
30 cm 20 cm |
Artificial | 5 cm |
A light covering of new snow mostly falling on Sat morning |
on 23 Jan | ||
| Gaissau-Hintersee (Spielbergalm) |
250 cm 150 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 7 Feb | ||
| Gargellen |
|
190 cm 155 cm |
Excellent | Tracked | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow Light clouds dotting the sky |
5 cm on 2 Feb |
| Gaschurn | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
|||||
| Gasteiner Tal |
280 cm 170 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 10 Feb | ||
| Gemeindealpe |
210 cm 100 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 7 Feb | ||
| Gerlitzen |
|
60 cm 30 cm |
Packed | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 7 Feb | |
| Gerlos |
|
230 cm 150 cm |
Excellent | Powder | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow Heavy snow just keeps on falling |
22 cm on 24 Jan |
| Glungezer |
120 cm 40 cm |
Packed | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 3 Feb | ||
| Going |
270 cm 120 cm |
Good | Powder | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow Cloudy this morning, clearing later |
0 cm on 10 Feb |
|
| Goldeck |
|
60 cm 10 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 7 Feb | |
| Goldegg |
140 cm 90 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 7 Feb | ||
| Golm |
|
205 cm 65 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 10 Feb | |
| Golzentipp |
|
80 cm 50 cm |
Packed | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 7 Feb | |
| Gosau-Zwieselalm | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
|||||
| Gostling | 0 cm |
Mostly dry |
|||||
| Grän/Füssner-Jöchle |
200 cm 100 cm |
Powder | Powder | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 10 Feb | |
| Grebenzen-St Lambrecht |
65 cm 50 cm |
Packed | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 20 Jan | ||
| Gröbming | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
|||||
| Grossarl-Dorfgastein |
|
190 cm 85 cm |
Packed | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 10 Feb | |
| Grossglockner Resort (Kals und Matrei) |
|
140 cm 25 cm |
Powder | Powder | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 7 Feb |
| Großeck-Speiereck | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
|||||
| Grünau im Almtal |
|
210 cm 50 cm |
Powder | Powder | 0 cm |
Mostly dry |
on 9 Feb |
| Hallein-Bad Dürrnberg/Zinken |
|
130 cm 100 cm |
Fresh | Fresh | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 10 Feb |
| Harmanschlag/Arralifte |
60 cm 50 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
Mostly dry |
on 10 Feb | ||
| Hauser Kaibling |
230 cm 120 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 10 Feb | ||
| Hebalm am Packsattel |
80 cm 80 cm |
Powder | Powder | 5 cm |
A light covering of new snow mostly falling on Sat morning |
on 7 Feb | |
| Heiligenblut |
140 cm 60 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 7 Feb | ||
| Hinterstoder |
200 cm 75 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 9 Feb | ||
| Hintertux |
|
290 cm 130 cm |
Excellent | Varied | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow Cloudy today, snow possible |
2 cm on 7 Feb |
| Hirschegg |
30 cm 20 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 23 Jan | ||
| Hittisau/Hausberg |
40 cm 40 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 9 Feb | ||
| Hittisau/Hochhäderich |
200 cm 160 cm |
Fresh | Fresh | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 9 Feb | |
| Hochficht-Schwarzenberg |
|
180 cm 145 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
Mostly dry |
on 10 Feb | |
| Hochfügen |
240 cm 170 cm |
Excellent | Powder | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow Overcast skies, mild temperatures |
0 cm on 22 Jan |
|
| Hochjoch-Schruns | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
|||||
| Hochkar-Göstling |
240 cm 190 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 6 Feb | ||
| Hochkönig |
|
140 cm 140 cm |
Excellent | Crust | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow Very low temperatures, frostbite warning |
0 cm on 24 Jan |
| Hochrindl |
|
50 cm 30 cm |
Packed | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 7 Feb | |
| Hochwurzen | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
|||||
| Hochzeiger | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
|||||
| Hochzillertal-Kaltenbach |
320 cm 15 cm |
Powder | Powder | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 1 Feb | |
| Hohe Wand Wiese |
20 cm 20 cm |
Artificial | 0 cm |
Mostly dry |
on 31 Jan | ||
| Hohentauern |
|
160 cm 110 cm |
Powder | Powder | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 10 Feb |
| Hollenstein an der Ybbs/Königsberglifte |
100 cm 50 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 8 Feb | ||
| Holzgau/Gföllberglift |
260 cm 230 cm |
Powder | Powder | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 2 Feb | |
| Hopfgarten |
|
270 cm 120 cm |
Good | Powder | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow Cloudy this morning, clearing later |
0 cm on 10 Feb |
| Ifen (Kleinwalsertal) |
360 cm 100 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 2 Feb | ||
| Igls |
190 cm 45 cm |
Good | Varied | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow Overcast skies |
20 cm on 24 Jan |
|
| Imster Bergbahnen |
215 cm 95 cm |
Packed | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 7 Feb | ||
| Innerkrems |
130 cm 90 cm |
Packed | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
on 7 Feb | ||
| Irdning | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow |
|||||
| Ischgl |
|
220 cm 100 cm |
Excellent | Varied | 0 cm |
A dusting of new snow Traces of fresh snow have fallen |
2 cm on 9 Feb |
| Itter |
270 cm 120 cm |
Excellent | Powder | 1 cm |
A dusting of new snow Cloudy this morning, clearing later |
0 cm on 10 Feb |
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