Mountains / Alps

Zell am See-Kaprun AT

2,4849,938 ft · long-term average 190" per season · window ticket ~$84 · prime window Mar–Apr

PassCast reseeded 2026-07-10 · season 2026-27
49SKIABILITY / 100Solid skiing expected
Snow quantity 35%52
Season lean 30%46
Powder days 20%16
Bust risk 15%93
Median sim
182" (96% of typical)
P(above typical)
46%
Powder days
~4 (6"+ days)

80% of simulated seasons land between 134" and 280". Reseeded daily as ENSO observations, CPC outlooks, and SEAS5 runs update.

10,000 simulated 2026-27 seasonsENSO-weighted resampling of 36 real seasons (1990–2026) at Zell am See-Kaprun, tilted by the live seasonal outlook

100"150"200"250"300"350"P10 134"P50 182"P90 280"typical 189"

Highlighted bars span the middle half of outcomes (P25–P75). The yellow dashed line is a typical season — the median of the last 36 at this mountain.

What's driving this forecast

ENSO: El Niño favored (99%)

The 2026-27 season is simulated by resampling Zell am See-Kaprun's historical seasons weighted toward El Niño analog years. NOAA CPC El Niño Advisory (June 11, 2026): El Niño conditions are present and expected to strengthen into winter 2026-27, with a 63% chance of a very strong event (Niño3.4 ≥ +2.0°C) during Nov-Jan. CPC DJF strength odds: very strong 46%, strong 33%, moderate 16%. IRI (June 22) concurs at 98% El Niño for DJF.

Pre-season: climate drivers only

Day-to-day weather models have no skill this far out, so the near-term forecast contributes 0% weight today. The simulation leans entirely on ENSO-conditioned climatology — exactly what an honest seasonal outlook should do in summer. Weighting shifts toward live forecasts as opening day approaches.

The regional readAlps · from the 2026-27 outlook

The honest call for the Alps is that El Niño barely reaches them — ENSO explains little Alpine snowfall variance, and the season will be decided by the North Atlantic Oscillation, which no model reliably predicts months ahead. The nearest strong-Niño analogs cut both ways: December 2015 was record-warm and green across the northern Alps, while 2023-24 ran warm but storm-rich, burying high-altitude terrain as valley floors turned to rain. Treat 2026-27 as climatological odds with a modest warm-wet tilt: rain-line risk below ~1,500 m, decent totals up high, heightened chance of a slow December. Bet altitude, not region.

Full global outlook →

Month by monthENSO-conditioned analog medians vs a typical month — when this season should deliver

Nov96%Dec100%Jan98%Feb100%Mar101%Apr116%
Typical month (median)ENSO-conditioned lean, wetENSO-conditioned lean, dry

Prime window: Mar–Apr — the deepest contiguous stretch of the conditioned season. Aim the trip there.

The analog poolEvery season since 1990 at Zell am See-Kaprun (ERA5, calibrated to the resort's reported average), colored by ENSO phase

75"175"250"325"1990-91: 137" (ONI +0.4)1991-92: 237" (ONI +1.7)1992-93: 166" (ONI +0.1)1993-94: 162" (ONI +0.1)1994-95: 209" (ONI +1.0)1995-96: 134" (ONI -0.9)1996-97: 182" (ONI -0.5)1997-98: 187" (ONI +2.2)1998-99: 200" (ONI -1.6)1999-00: 240" (ONI -1.7)2000-01: 234" (ONI -0.7)2001-02: 176" (ONI -0.1)2002-03: 141" (ONI +0.9)2003-04: 185" (ONI +0.4)2004-05: 157" (ONI +0.6)2005-06: 180" (ONI -0.8)2006-07: 138" (ONI +0.7)2007-08: 197" (ONI -1.6)2008-09: 224" (ONI -0.8)2009-10: 144" (ONI +1.5)2010-11: 116" (ONI -1.3)2011-12: 191" (ONI -0.7)2012-13: 191" (ONI -0.3)2013-14: 190" (ONI -0.3)2014-15: 168" (ONI +0.7)2015-16: 154" (ONI +2.6)2016-17: 201" (ONI -0.2)2017-18: 237" (ONI -0.8)2018-19: 301" (ONI +0.9)2019-20: 244" (ONI +0.6)2020-21: 208" (ONI -0.9)2021-22: 236" (ONI -0.8)2022-23: 223" (ONI -0.5)2023-24: 282" (ONI +1.9)2024-25: 132" (ONI -0.5)2025-26: 137" (ONI -0.4)19901995200020052010201520202025
La Niña winterNeutralEl Niño winterTypical winter (median)

Pass math for Zell am See-Kaprun

Zell am See-Kaprun isn't on a multi-resort pass — but you can still see what a season here is worth.

10days

No multi-resort pass covers these mountains — window tickets are the play.

Sources: ERA5 reanalysis & multi-model forecasts via Open-Meteo · NOAA CPC ONI, ENSO advisory & seasonal outlook · ECMWF SEAS5 · pass prices verified July 2026. See methodology for the honest fine print.