Season at a glance
resort announcement (Grindelwald Tourismus winter sports report: 'Grindelwald-Männlichen: open daily from 21 November 2026 to 25 April 2027' and 'Grindelwald-First: open daily from 19 December 2026 to 29 March 2027', both marked 'Subject to change'. The record uses the Grindelwald-Wengen / Kleine Scheidegg-Männlichen sector, the larger of the two; First's later dates are in the intro. jungfrau.ch adds that until the end of November only weekend or partial weekend operation is to be expected, and the Männlichen cableway company publishes a narrower 12 Dec 2026 to 4 Apr 2027 window for its own two lifts) + 15-season mediansSafest weeks to book: 21 Nov - 25 Apr (30 cm+ base in 14+ of the last 15 seasons)
Today (22 Sep) is off-season - the bar above shows the coming season, opening 21 Nov.
Snow history, 2011-2026
full area, mid-stationBars: share of the last 15 seasons with a 30 cm+ base at 2,061 m by the 15th of each month. med = median depth on that date (dashed line). Recomputed 8 Sep 2026 from the Open-Meteo archive.
Conditions & forecast
22 Sep 06:39| Elevation | Snow depth | 7-day snow | Temp (day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top · 2,500 m | 0 cm | 0 cm | - |
| Mid · 2,061 m | 0 cm | 0 cm | +12° / +8° |
| Valley · 1,034 m | 0 cm | 0 cm | - |
Avalanche: no bulletin issued - the avalanche services publish daily bulletins in winter only.
Forecast: Open-Meteo · updated 22 Sep 2026, 06:39 CEST. Temperatures are modeled at mid-station.
The mountain
OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap, ODbL
European piste grades: blue easy · red intermediate · black advanced.
Grindelwald's village base is 1,034 m, low for a Swiss resort of this standing, and the terrain its own lifts serve tops out at 2,500 m on the Oberjoch chairlift above First. That terrain is two separate sectors, Grindelwald-First and the Kleine Scheidegg / Männlichen slopes it shares with Wengen, roughly 124 km of piste between them out of the 211 km Jungfraubahnen claims for the wider Jungfrau Ski Region once Mürren-Schilthorn is counted in. The two sectors do not link on snow: the change between them is made down in the valley, by train or bus through the village. First also opens about a month later than the Kleine Scheidegg side, 19 December 2026 against 21 November.
Tickets, passes and lessons are sold by the resort itself - we link, we don't resell.
Live webcams
via Windy.com · refreshed ~10 minWebcam imagery: Windy.com webcams, refreshed about every 10 minutes. Tap a webcam to watch it live on Windy.com.
Getting there
nearest airport: Zurich (ZRH), 156 km| Option | Door to door | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rental car · from Zurich (ZRH) | 2 h 33 min | rental + fuel | 156 km from Zurich. Winter tyres are legally required in season; approach roads are kept clear. |
| Train + bus · from Zurich (ZRH) | 3 h 03 min | budget option | train 75 to Zürich HB, long distance IC1 to Bern, long distance IC61 to Interlaken Ost, train R61 to Grindelwald (3 changes). |
| From Geneva (GVA) | 3 h 02 min | varies | 233 km by road. Often the cheaper flight; budget the extra driving time each way. |
Plan your trip
Hotels and apartments near the Grindelwald lifts.
Arriving before the seasonReserve rental gear ahead - typically 20-45% below walk-in shop prices.
Arriving before the seasonSki schools and private instructors, bookable by the day.
Arriving before the seasonWinter-sports cover including piste rescue and kit.
Arriving before the seasonPartner links for these slots arrive before the season.
Common questions about Grindelwald
Is Grindelwald open in early December?
Historically the snow is there: in 15 of the last 15 winters Grindelwald had a 30 cm or deeper base at mid-mountain (2,061 m) in the first half of December, with a median depth of about 93 cm. The lifts themselves open 21 Nov. (15-season record, computed 8 Sep 2026)
How high is Grindelwald?
The base sits at 1,034 m and the lifts reach 2,500 m, with most skiing around the 2,061 m mid-mountain level.
How do I get to Grindelwald from Zurich Airport?
Zurich (ZRH) is the nearest airport at 156 km, about 2 h 33 min by road. Public transport takes about 3 h 03 min with 3 changes. The full comparison, including other airports, is in the Getting there table above.
When does the 2026/27 season start at Grindelwald?
Grindelwald has announced 21 Nov as opening day for 2026/27; the season runs until 25 Apr. (season dates checked 22 Sep 2026)
How reliable is the snow at Grindelwald in January?
Very: in 15 of the last 15 winters there was a 30 cm or deeper base at mid-mountain throughout January, and the median mid-January depth is about 149 cm. (15-season record, computed 8 Sep 2026)
Nearby resorts
Data on this page: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), OpenSkiMap (ODbL), SLF Switzerland. Every number is dated where it can go stale - how the verdicts are computed.