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...

Austria: latest snow conditions round-up


AUSTRIA REPORT Austria was quite divided in terms of snowfall received over the weekend in particular with areas like the Arlberg receiving over 60cm (two feet) high up, while large swathes of the country hardly saw a flake. On the one hand, those areas were the ones that did see snow in the latter half of February when much of the Alps didn't, on the other their bases weren't great in most cases and they did see temperatures peak at +15C on Monday.

Things have started to improve a little in the last 24 hours though St Anton (40/290cm / 16/116") is posting the country's deepest base if you're allowed on the lift to go up to Valluga.

Summary of forecast snowfall and ski conditions for resorts in Austria. Fresh snow is forecast at 31 resorts. Powder is reported at 4 resorts and 7 are reporting good piste conditions.

read more...

Recent Eyeball Snow Reports for Austria

A–D

E–F G–G H–J K–K L–M N–Q R–R S–S T–Z Best powder (4)Best piste conditions (7)

Ski resorts in Austria from A to D

Resort
snow depth
top and bottom

on-piste

off-piste

Last Snow

Next 9 Days
0–3 | 3–6 | 6–9
snow (cm)
Next 5 days weather forecast.
Freezing level (m)
Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

(712m — 1200m)

snow report today

opens in 269 days 4 cm
6 days ago
15.0
8.0
part cloud cloud mod rain light rain light rain
Mid station 956 m
2200m 2500m 2000m 1350m 1400m

(950m — 1780m)

snow report today

Achenkirch am Achensee webcam
40
15
Packed powder and groomed snow 5 cm
2 days ago
7.0
31.0
8.0
part cloud cloud mod rain rain showers light snow
Mid station 1365 m
2350m 2450m 1700m 1400m 1500m

(1107m — 1480m)

snow report 2 days ago

30
20
Spring snow 3 cm
6 days ago
17.0
9.0
part cloud cloud light rain snow showers cloud
Mid station 1294 m
2250m 2600m 2250m 1550m 1450m

(810m — 1810m)

snow report today

40
Packed powder and groomed snow 2.0 cm
2 days ago
9.0
5.0
part cloud cloud light rain rain showers cloud
Mid station 1310 m
2250m 2600m 2300m 1600m 1550m

(721m — 1201m)

snow report today

opens in 269 days 6 cm
7 days ago
24.0
7.0
part cloud cloud heavy rain light rain light rain
Mid station 961 m
2450m 2500m 1900m 1350m 1350m

(813m — 2025m)

snow report today

90
30
Hard packed snow
Crust
7 cm
2 days ago
6.0
29.0
8.0
rain showers cloud mod rain snow showers light snow
Mid station 1419 m
2250m 2450m 1850m 1350m 1300m

(1000m — 1280m)

snow report 7 days ago

1.0 cm
7 days ago
5.0
5.0
part cloud cloud light rain part cloud cloud
Mid station 1140 m
2250m 2600m 2400m 1600m 1600m

(750m — 1750m)

snow report today

130
20
Packed powder and groomed snow 5 cm
2 days ago
29.0
10.0
part cloud cloud mod rain snow showers light rain
Mid station 1250 m
2200m 2500m 2100m 1350m 1400m

(655m — 1700m)

snow report today

opens in 269 days 2.0 cm
2 days ago
33.0
8.0
part cloud cloud heavy rain light rain light snow
Mid station 1178 m
2400m 2500m 1900m 1350m 1350m

(896m — 1300m)

snow report today

opens in 269 days 1.0 cm
2 days ago
20.0
9.0
part cloud cloud mod rain light rain light rain
Mid station 1098 m
2200m 2500m 2050m 1350m 1300m

(1349m — 1593m)

snow report 7 days ago

1.0 cm
7 days ago
7.0
6.0
part cloud cloud light rain part cloud cloud
Mid station 1471 m
2250m 2600m 2500m 1550m 1600m

(699m — 1551m)

snow report today

3.0 cm
7 days ago
26.0
1.0
rain showers part cloud cloud rain showers light rain
Mid station 1125 m
2400m 2600m 2300m 1450m 1350m

(1310m — 1900m)

snow report 2 days ago

8 cm
2 days ago
6.0
34.0
8.0
rain showers cloud light rain light snow light snow
Mid station 1605 m
2300m 2450m 1800m 1450m 1350m

(1560m — 2340m)

snow report today

100
70
Packed powder and groomed snow 7 cm
2 days ago
5.0
37.0
9.0
rain showers cloud mod rain snow showers light snow
Mid station 1950 m
2050m 2350m 1950m 950m 1050m

(1079m — 2007m)

snow report today

70
10
Old snow 1.0 cm
2 days ago
20.0
5.0
rain showers cloud light rain snow showers light snow
Mid station 1543 m
2100m 2450m 2250m 1000m 1000m

(840m — 2300m)

snow report 2 days ago

Bad Hofgastein webcam
80
20
Packed powder and groomed snow 2.0 cm
2 days ago
25.0
6.0
rain showers cloud light rain snow showers light snow
Mid station 1570 m
2050m 2450m 2200m 1100m 1050m

(470m — 1415m)

snow report 6 days ago

1.0 cm
2 days ago
18.0
8.0
part cloud cloud heavy rain light rain light rain
Mid station 942 m
2200m 2500m 2050m 1350m 1450m

(1100m — 2055m)

snow report today

Bad Kleinkirchheim webcam
80
25
Wet snow 1.0 cm
2 days ago
22.0
1.0
part cloud cloud cloud snow showers light snow
Mid station 1578 m
2300m 2550m 2300m 1550m 1450m

(1670m — 2120m)

snow report today

70
40
Packed powder and groomed snow 4 cm
7 days ago
48.0
rain showers cloud cloud snow showers light snow
Mid station 1895 m
2250m 2500m 2300m 1250m 1150m

(1098m — 2231m)

snow report today

50
15
Packed powder and groomed snow 2.0 cm
2 days ago
29.0
6.0
part cloud cloud light rain snow showers light snow
Mid station 1664 m
2150m 2450m 2250m 1100m 1100m

(1075m — 1740m)

snow report today

50
30
Packed powder and groomed snow 1.5 cm
2 days ago
6.0
32.0
10.0
part cloud cloud mod rain rain showers light snow
Mid station 1408 m
2200m 2350m 1800m 1300m 1150m

(1000m — 1800m)

snow report today

25
25
Spring snow 3.0 cm
2 days ago
6.0
31.0
9.0
part cloud cloud mod rain light rain light snow
Mid station 1400 m
2200m 2350m 1750m 1300m 1150m

(1167m — 1214m)

snow report today

opens in 269 days 5 cm
7 days ago
17.0
8.0
rain showers cloud heavy rain light rain mod rain
Mid station 1190 m
2150m 2350m 1750m 1150m 1150m

(681m — 1700m)

snow report 7 days ago

3.0 cm
2 days ago
33.0
9.0
part cloud cloud heavy rain light rain light snow
Mid station 1190 m
2350m 2400m 1850m 1400m 1300m

(1030m — 1201m)

snow report today

opens in 269 days 1.7 cm
7 days ago
20.0
part cloud part cloud cloud rain showers light rain
Mid station 1116 m
2400m 2750m 2400m 1650m 1400m

(964m — 1050m)

snow report today

4 cm
7 days ago
18.0
7.0
part cloud cloud heavy rain light rain mod rain
Mid station 1007 m
2250m 2350m 1700m 1350m 1350m

(891m — 2000m)

snow report today

85
Packed powder and groomed snow 4 cm
2 days ago
33.0
12.0
part cloud cloud heavy rain snow showers light snow
Mid station 1446 m
2250m 2500m 1900m 1450m 1300m

(421m — 1064m)

snow report 7 days ago

4 cm
7 days ago
16.0
4.0
part cloud cloud heavy rain light rain light rain
Mid station 742 m
2450m 2550m 1950m 1350m 1350m

(620m — 1957m)

snow report yesterday

55
15
Fair
Varied
6 cm
2 days ago
28.0
7.0
rain showers cloud mod rain light rain light snow
Mid station 1288 m
2300m 2500m 1800m 1400m 1500m

(560m — 690m)

snow report today

opens in 262 days 2.3 cm
7 days ago
5.0
5.0
rain showers cloud mod rain rain showers mod rain
Mid station 625 m
2250m 2450m 1850m 1350m 1300m

(1200m — 2701m)

snow report today

350
Powder
Powder
7 cm
2 days ago
2.0
37.0
11.0
part cloud cloud mod rain snow showers light snow
Mid station 1950 m
2150m 2500m 2150m 1200m 1200m

(1000m — 2301m)

snow report 2 days ago

5 cm
2 days ago
4.0
45.0
12.0
part cloud cloud heavy rain snow showers mod snow
Mid station 1650 m
1850m 2250m 1900m 1050m 1100m

(669m — 2009m)

snow report today

110
55
Packed powder and groomed snow 4 cm
2 days ago
39.0
11.0
part cloud cloud heavy rain light snow light snow
Mid station 1339 m
2300m 2400m 1800m 1400m 1300m

(1410m — 2525m)

snow report today

75
50
Packed powder and groomed snow 1.0 cm
2 days ago
36.0
4.0
part cloud cloud light rain snow showers light snow
Mid station 1968 m
2150m 2350m 2350m 900m 850m

(850m — 2060m)

snow report today

120
20
Packed powder and groomed snow 4 cm
2 days ago
4.0
44.0
11.0
part cloud cloud heavy rain light snow light snow
Mid station 1455 m
2200m 2350m 1850m 1300m 1250m

(800m — 2000m)

snow report today

100
35
Packed powder and groomed snow 7 cm
2 days ago
24.0
8.0
part cloud cloud mod rain light snow light snow
Mid station 1400 m
1950m 2350m 2050m 1300m 1100m

(1367m — 2168m)

snow report 7 days ago

4 cm
7 days ago
42.0
1.0
part cloud part cloud cloud snow showers light snow
Mid station 1768 m
2350m 2650m 2350m 1550m 1400m

(990m — 2100m)

snow report today

110
50
Packed powder and groomed snow 6 cm
2 days ago
16.0
8.0
part cloud cloud light rain snow showers light snow
Mid station 1545 m
2100m 2550m 2300m 1250m 1200m

(681m — 1551m)

snow report 7 days ago

Dreilaendereck webcam
3.0 cm
7 days ago
26.0
1.0
rain showers part cloud cloud rain showers light rain
Mid station 1116 m
2350m 2600m 2300m 1450m 1350m

(800m — 1600m)

snow report today

opens in 269 days 7 cm
2 days ago
26.0
8.0
clear cloud mod rain rain showers light snow
Mid station 1200 m
2150m 2500m 2000m 1350m 1500m