snowingplaces

Where is the best snow in January?

For fresh snow in January, the record points to Nozawa Onsen, where it snows on about 24 days that month at mid-mountain, followed by Hakuba Valley and Niseko United. The coldest of the 90 resorts that are usually open, and so the most likely to keep its snow dry, is Lake Louise.

Ski resorts ranked by snowy days in January

90 resorts whose lifts usually run in January and that average at least 4 snowy days. Mid-mountain, 2016 to 2025.

Ski resorts ranked by snowy days in January
RankPlaceSnowy days in JanuaryShare of the year's snowLow to high
1Nozawa OnsenJapan2430%−8 to −2 °C (18 to 28 °F)
2Hakuba ValleyJapan2327%−10 to −3 °C (14 to 27 °F)
3Niseko UnitedJapan2124%−12 to −6 °C (10 to 21 °F)
4Shiga KogenJapan2025%−13 to −6 °C (9 to 21 °F)
5FuranoJapan1819%−14 to −7 °C (7 to 19 °F)
6Whistler BlackcombCanada1719%−8 to −3 °C (18 to 27 °F)
7Revelstoke Mountain ResortCanada1616%−11 to −4 °C (12 to 25 °F)
8RusutsuJapan1624%−12 to −6 °C (10 to 21 °F)
9AndermattSwitzerland1514%−12 to −6 °C (10 to 21 °F)
10EngelbergSwitzerland1516%−10 to −3 °C (14 to 27 °F)
11GrindelwaldSwitzerland1417%−7 to 0 °C (19 to 32 °F)
12ObertauernAustria1414%−11 to −4 °C (12 to 25 °F)
13Bad GasteinAustria1415%−10 to −2 °C (14 to 28 °F)
14ÅreSweden1418%−11 to −6 °C (12 to 21 °F)
15ChamonixFrance1418%−12 to −5 °C (10 to 23 °F)
16LaaxSwitzerland1417%−11 to −4 °C (12 to 25 °F)
17MayrhofenAustria1416%−10 to 0 °C (14 to 32 °F)
18St. Anton am ArlbergAustria1416%−12 to −3 °C (10 to 27 °F)
19Big WhiteCanada1413%−13 to −6 °C (9 to 21 °F)
20Lech ZürsAustria1418%−11 to −3 °C (12 to 27 °F)
21AvoriazFrance1419%−10 to −2 °C (14 to 28 °F)
22Zell am See-KaprunAustria1415%−10 to −2 °C (14 to 28 °F)
23La PlagneFrance1418%−12 to −4 °C (10 to 25 °F)
24CourmayeurItaly1318%−11 to −3 °C (12 to 27 °F)
25VerbierSwitzerland1315%−11 to −4 °C (12 to 25 °F)
26SteamboatUnited States1316%−12 to −5 °C (10 to 23 °F)
27CerviniaItaly1313%−15 to −8 °C (5 to 18 °F)
28MéribelFrance1319%−11 to −3 °C (12 to 27 °F)
29MegèveFrance1320%−9 to 0 °C (16 to 32 °F)
30TignesFrance1316%−12 to −6 °C (10 to 21 °F)
31Val d'IsèreFrance1316%−12 to −6 °C (10 to 21 °F)
32Davos KlostersSwitzerland1314%−13 to −4 °C (9 to 25 °F)
33Jackson HoleUnited States1313%−12 to −6 °C (10 to 21 °F)
34Les ArcsFrance1319%−12 to −4 °C (10 to 25 °F)
35SöldenAustria1313%−13 to −5 °C (9 to 23 °F)
36CourchevelFrance1319%−10 to −1 °C (14 to 30 °F)
37Val ThorensFrance1317%−14 to −7 °C (7 to 19 °F)
38Alpe d'HuezFrance1317%−12 to −3 °C (10 to 27 °F)
39Les Deux AlpesFrance1317%−13 to −5 °C (9 to 23 °F)
40KitzbühelAustria1320%−11 to 0 °C (12 to 32 °F)
41IschglAustria1215%−13 to −4 °C (9 to 25 °F)
42Saalbach HinterglemmAustria1221%−10 to −1 °C (14 to 30 °F)
43Sun PeaksCanada1214%−12 to −6 °C (10 to 21 °F)
44HemsedalNorway1216%−12 to −6 °C (10 to 21 °F)
45Garmisch-PartenkirchenGermany1220%−12 to −3 °C (10 to 27 °F)
46Aspen SnowmassUnited States1213%−15 to −4 °C (5 to 25 °F)
47Mont TremblantCanada1221%−16 to −7 °C (3 to 19 °F)
48ZermattSwitzerland1212%−15 to −8 °C (5 to 18 °F)
49Crans-MontanaSwitzerland1220%−13 to −6 °C (9 to 21 °F)
50StoweUnited States1219%−14 to −6 °C (7 to 21 °F)
51AltaUnited States1216%−13 to −6 °C (9 to 21 °F)
52Arosa LenzerheideSwitzerland1214%−12 to −3 °C (10 to 27 °F)
53SnowbirdUnited States1216%−12 to −4 °C (10 to 25 °F)
54Beaver CreekUnited States1213%−16 to −4 °C (3 to 25 °F)
55Saas-FeeSwitzerland1213%−14 to −7 °C (7 to 19 °F)
56VailUnited States1213%−15 to −4 °C (5 to 25 °F)
57Baqueira-BeretSpain1117%−8 to 0 °C (18 to 32 °F)
58TellurideUnited States1115%−14 to −4 °C (7 to 25 °F)
59GrandvaliraAndorra1116%−7 to −1 °C (19 to 30 °F)
60Park CityUnited States1117%−11 to −4 °C (12 to 25 °F)
61FernieCanada1113%−11 to −4 °C (12 to 25 °F)
62Serre ChevalierFrance1115%−10 to −2 °C (14 to 28 °F)
63Deer ValleyUnited States1119%−11 to −3 °C (12 to 27 °F)
64Obergurgl-HochgurglAustria1110%−14 to −6 °C (7 to 21 °F)
65GulmargIndia1119%−11 to −5 °C (12 to 23 °F)
66St. MoritzSwitzerland1111%−16 to −7 °C (3 to 19 °F)
67BreckenridgeUnited States1011%−16 to −6 °C (3 to 21 °F)
68HeavenlyUnited States1021%−8 to 1 °C (18 to 34 °F)
69Palisades TahoeUnited States1021%−8 to 1 °C (18 to 34 °F)
70Sun ValleyUnited States1015%−13 to −3 °C (9 to 27 °F)
71SestriereItaly1013%−13 to −5 °C (9 to 23 °F)
72BanskoBulgaria1022%−7 to 0 °C (19 to 32 °F)
73Big SkyUnited States109%−15 to −7 °C (5 to 19 °F)
74LivignoItaly1012%−16 to −6 °C (3 to 21 °F)
75Kicking HorseCanada911%−15 to −7 °C (5 to 19 °F)
76TrysilNorway920%−12 to −6 °C (10 to 21 °F)
77Mammoth MountainUnited States921%−10 to −1 °C (14 to 30 °F)
78BormioItaly910%−14 to −5 °C (7 to 23 °F)
79GudauriGeorgia911%−17 to −7 °C (1 to 19 °F)
80KillingtonUnited States920%−13 to −5 °C (9 to 23 °F)
81Lake LouiseCanada88%−17 to −9 °C (1 to 16 °F)
82LeviFinland815%−15 to −9 °C (5 to 16 °F)
83Cortina d'AmpezzoItaly79%−11 to −3 °C (12 to 27 °F)
84Alta BadiaItaly79%−11 to −4 °C (12 to 25 °F)
85Madonna di CampiglioItaly710%−14 to −2 °C (7 to 28 °F)
86Taos Ski ValleyUnited States714%−13 to −4 °C (9 to 25 °F)
87Sierra NevadaSpain713%−5 to 1 °C (23 to 34 °F)
88Val GardenaItaly710%−12 to −2 °C (10 to 28 °F)
89Sunshine VillageCanada67%−16 to −9 °C (3 to 16 °F)
90YongpyongSouth Korea418%−12 to −4 °C (10 to 25 °F)

Other months

Reading this table

Snowy days are days with at least 1 cm of snowfall, so they tell you how likely you are to see fresh snow during a week's stay. The share column shows how much of the resort's yearly snowfall arrives in January: a high share early in the season means the base is still building. Temperatures are the average daily low and high at mid-mountain, and long spells above freezing mean heavier, wetter snow. All figures are averages over 2016 to 2025 from ERA5 reanalysis, so a single year can look very different. We do not show snowfall in centimetres because the record underestimates it in the mountains. Resorts are included when their usual season covers January, but check this season's dates before you book.