Season guide · Chamonix · France
Chamonix in winter
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Franck Langlois, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Snow-covered valley and full ski season from mid-December; cold, with busy holiday weeks and higher prices in February. Expect highs up to 4°C (39°F) and lows around -7°C (19°F), with about 30 rainy days across December–February. January is among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- -7°C (19°F) to 4°C (39°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 30
- Crowds
- Busy
- Hotel prices
- High
Weather in winter
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3°C (37°F) | -7°C (19°F) | 10 | 9 h | 4/5 |
| February | 4°C (39°F) | -6°C (21°F) | 9 | 10.3 h | 5/5 |
| December | 3°C (37°F) | -6°C (21°F) | 11 | 8.7 h | 4/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 3°C (37°F) against a yearly 12°C (54°F), and 30 of the year's roughly 128 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 4/5 and hotel prices 4/5 on average.
What's on in winter
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- February: French and British school winter holidays (usually throughout February)
- December: Ski season opening (usually mid-December, snow permitting)
- December: New Year's Eve celebrations in the centre
Good choices for winter
Religious site · Chamonix centre
Église Saint-Michel
Photograph the bell tower from the bridge over the Arve with the Aiguilles behind it.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
Day trips in winter
- Lac d'Emosson (About 45 minutes by car, longer by train and funicular) — Just over the Swiss border, a high dam lake at about 1,930 metres faces the Mont Blanc massif, and trails nearby lead to dinosaur footprints preserved in the rock.
- Saint-Gervais-les-Bains (About 30–40 minutes by train) — A spa and mountain town at the lower end of the valley, with thermal baths in a wooded park and the lower terminus of the Mont Blanc Tramway, which climbs towards the Bionnassay glacier.
What to pack
- A warm coat, hat, gloves and thermal layers
- Shoes with good grip for icy pavements
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is winter a good time to visit Chamonix?
Yes: January is among the best months. Snow-covered valley and full ski season from mid-December; cold, with busy holiday weeks and higher prices in February.
+What is the weather like in Chamonix in winter?
Highs of up to 4°C (39°F) and lows around -7°C (19°F), with about 30 rainy days over the season.