How reliable is Christmas snow?
Snow at Christmas depends on two things: how far north you are and how high up. Places in the Arctic, like Finnish Lapland and northern Norway, almost always have snow on the ground by late December. In the Alps, it depends on altitude. High resorts with glaciers are a safe bet, while lower resorts and cities can be green one year and white the next.
Below are the places we'd pick, roughly from most to least reliable.
Almost certain: Lapland
Finnish Lapland usually has snow from November to April, so by Christmas it's deep and crisp.
- [Rovaniemi](/destinations/rovaniemi): the home of Santa Claus Village, with the most flights from the UK.
- [Levi](/destinations/levi): Lapland's biggest ski resort, for skiing as well as huskies and reindeer.
- [Saariselkä](/destinations/saariselka): a quiet village in the wilderness, with glass igloos and good odds of the northern lights.
Our guide to Rovaniemi, Levi or Saariselkä compares the three.
Very likely: Arctic Norway
Tromsø, well above the Arctic Circle, usually has snow by Christmas, though it's milder than Lapland because of the sea. It's a small, lively city surrounded by fjords, with northern lights tours, dog sledding and, in some winters, whale watching. Further south, Bergen is beautiful at Christmas but more often wet than white.
Very likely: high Alpine resorts
Zermatt is one of the safest bets in the Alps, with slopes up to almost 3,900 metres and skiing on the glacier. It's car-free, sits under the Matterhorn and has gentle beginner areas, but it's expensive.
Chamonix and Whistler usually have their ski seasons well under way by Christmas. Whistler gets lots of snow and its season often starts in late November, though the long flight makes it a bigger trip.
A good chance: Alpine cities and lakes
Innsbruck and Salzburg often have snow on the mountains above them, if not always in the streets. Both have Christmas markets, and Innsbruck's cable cars take you from the city centre into the snow in about 20 minutes. Lake Bled and Hallstatt look magical under snow, but in milder winters you might only see it on the peaks.
The advantage of these is that you get markets, museums and things to do whatever the weather.
A gamble: the Christmas market cities
Cities like Prague, Vienna, Kraków, Riga and Stockholm are cold in December and do get snow some years, but it's never something to count on. Further north and east is a better bet: Riga and Tallinn are snowier, on average, than Vienna or Prague. In North America, Quebec City and Montreal are usually snowy by Christmas.
Tips for booking
- Go high or go north. If snow is the whole point, choose Lapland, Arctic Norway or a resort with skiing above 2,000 metres.
- Look at early January. Snow is more reliable after New Year, prices drop and the slopes are quieter once the holidays end.
- Pack properly. In Lapland, -20°C is normal. Tour companies lend thermal suits, but bring thermals, mittens and a good hat.
- Book early. Christmas week in snowy places sells out months ahead, especially Lapland trips with a Santa visit.
For more ideas, see our Christmas holidays page. And if you'd rather have sunshine, here's where is hot at Christmas.