Snow in Switzerland: Snowiest Places and Average Amounts
Does it snow in Switzerland? Yes, it snows in Switzerland!
Lying in the heart of Europe, Switzerland features majestic scenery in every direction. More than half of the country is dominated by the Alps, with 50,000 peaks towering more than 13,000 feet!
Every region in Switzerland sees snowfall, but how much depends on the location. Cities and villages in mountainous areas and high elevations get heavier and longer periods of snow than places like Basel, which only see flurries during the coldest part of winter. Overall, visitors to Switzerland can expect snowfall between October and April.
Keep reading to learn more about snow in Switzerland, including average snowfall amounts and the snowiest towns and cities in the country!
Average Snowfall Amounts in Switzerland
Switzerland’s resort villages at high elevations receive the most snow in the country.
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Let’s discuss the average annual snowfall in Switzerland before diving into the snowiest places in the country.
Mountainous regions, resort villages, and towns at high elevations receive the most snowfall. Snow in Switzerland is almost guaranteed, and the country receives an annual average of 96 inches.
Below is a smattering of cities in various regions of Switzerland and their average annual snowfall.
| Cities/Towns in Switzerland | Average Annual Snowfall in Inches |
|---|---|
| La Chaux de Fonds (Western Switzerland) | 113 |
| Zermatt (Western Switzerland) | 103 |
| Payerne (Western Switzerland) | 15 |
| Adelboden (Central Switzerland) | 166 |
| Zurich (Northern Switzerland) | 22 |
| Engelberg (Central Switzerland) | 163 |
| Davos (Eastern Switzerland) | 184 |
| Lugano (Eastern Switzerland) | 10 |
| Glarus (Eastern Switzerland) | 47 |
Snowiest Places in Switzerland
La Chaux de Fonds
La Chaux de Fonds is a remote village that experiences snow six months out of the year.
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The Swiss city of La Chaux de Fonds is in the Jura Mountains near the French border. It sits at a relatively high altitude in a remote setting and is famous for its watchmaking, including manufacturers for designers like Breitling and Cartier. The city is a good mix between bustling streets and wild nature. La Chaux de Fonds experiences a snowy period for six months out of the year, from the end of October to the end of April. The average total snowfall is around 113 inches. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are popular winter activities in the area. Check out the nearby ski resorts, wellness centers, and ice skating rinks!
Andermatt
Andermatt village is a quaint resort area with 12 feet of annual snowfall!
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Located in the canton of Uri, Andermatt is a mountain village at an elevation of 4,700 feet above sea level. It sits in the picturesque Ursern Valley in the Swiss Alps, where it’s a quaint resort village for skiers. But it’s also the perfect place for those looking for respite and culture. This down-to-earth Swiss village is ideal for the winter enthusiast, as the area receives an average annual snowfall of 12 feet and has around 125 snowfall days throughout the year. Andermatt is great for skiing and snowboarding, but visitors can also go ice skating, sledding, trekking, cross-country skiing, and horse sled rides.
Davos
Davos is a famous ski resort town in Switzerland. It is also the host of the World Economic Forum.
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Situated in the Rhaetian Alps within the canton of Graubunden, Davos is a popular ski resort town and hosts the World Economic Forum. This charming village is the highest town in Europe and is famous for its winter sports and cultural attractions. Its ski resort is the largest in the country and offers five separate ski areas. Davos has an average snowfall of 184 inches, and January is the snowiest month of the year, experiencing 11 days of snowfall on average. When visitors aren’t swooshing down the slopes, they can skate at one of the largest artificial rinks in Switzerland or go on a scenic train ride to the Matterhorn.
St. Moritz
View of St. Moritz, the famous resort region for winter sports, with the first new snow.
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St. Moritz is another impressive high-altitude mountain town located in the same canton as Davos. More specifically, St. Moritz is a luxury alpine resort village in the Engadin Valley, where it is notable for hosting the Winter Olympics twice. If you are a winter sports enthusiast, St. Moritz is the dream vacation. The town hosts an Olympic-sized ice rink, a natural-ice bobsled run, a frozen lake for polo and cricket, and mountains for skiing and snowboarding. This charming and adventurous village accumulates an average annual snowfall of 118 inches. The resorts also use snow guns to create the perfect skiing conditions for their world-class slopes, perfect for advanced intermediaries.
Engelberg
Engelberg features a 12th-century monastery and adventurous winter activities.
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The Alpine town of Engelberg is in Central Switzerland and is one of the region’s best vacation destinations. It’s known for its quaint storefronts, hip bars, and famous 12th-century monastery. If you are an adventure-seeker, Engelberg should be on your bucket list for winter fun! This cozy village features weaving mountain trails, gondola rides, zig-zag ski runs, a glacial park, and a cliff walk suspension bridge. Engelberg has an average annual snowfall of 163 inches and receives around 34 snowfall days.
The photo featured at the top of this post is © Xantana/iStock via Getty Images
