Andorra's snow report and how to read it

Andorra’s snow report is one of the most checked pages of the winter, and rightly so. It decides whether it’s worth going up, which sector to head for and which pass to use. But many people look at third-party snow sites or only at the centimetres, and that’s where they go wrong. Here’s where the official report lives and how I’d read it.

Where the official report is

Each resort publishes its own piste status, free. Grandvalira has it on its «Estado de pistas» page, Pal Arinsal on «Parte de nieve» and Ordino Arcalís on «Estado de pistas». Because all three share an operator, the layout is the same, and Pal Arinsal and Ordino Arcalís also offer a downloadable version in Catalan, French and English. For British skiers that download is the easiest way in. I wouldn’t use any other source to decide the day, because this is the one the resort itself updates.

What it shows

At the very top is the date and time of the last update, which is the first thing I’d look at. Then the open runs out of the total, split by colour into green, blue, red and black. Open lifts by type, from carpets and rope tows to drag lifts, chairlifts and gondolas. Skiable kilometres open out of the total. Snow depth in centimetres, minimum and maximum. And, at Grandvalira, its 14 links between sectors, such as Encamp-Grau Roig, Canillo-El Tarter or Grau Roig-Pas de la Casa.

Below that comes the detail by sector, run by run and lift by lift, each with its status. That’s where you’ll see, for example, whether the snowpark or the children’s circuit in your sector is running.

How to read the statuses

The resorts use seven, in Spanish. «Abierto» and «cerrado» are open and closed. «Parcialmente abierto» means only part of it is running, so check which. «Previsión de apertura» means it’s expected to open but hasn’t yet. «Habilitado» means prepared. «En mantenimiento» means stopped for maintenance. And «cadenas», which I read as relating to access, warns that chains are needed.

This is where people slip up. A resort with good depth and the links closed can trap you in one sector. At Grandvalira, if the link between Grau Roig and Pas de la Casa is shut by wind, anyone who parked on one side won’t ski across to the other. I’d check the links before the centimetres. The sector map is in my guide to Grandvalira.

Weather alongside the report

Grandvalira backs up its report with a weather page by sector, giving altitude, low and high, wind, depth and date of the last snowfall, avalanche risk, visibility, snow quality and snow line. The multi-day forecast is covered in Grandvalira weather. And to see the slope with your own eyes, the Andorra webcams are free on the same websites.

What about Naturland?

Cross-country skiing has its own report. Naturland shows the status of its activities on its website, and the tourist board notes that you can check the state of the La Rabassa trails, snow depth and weather there in real time. Because the 2000 level opens depending on snow, I’d check it the same morning before driving up. It’s all in cross-country skiing in Andorra.

When is there snow in Andorra?

The tourist board explains that snow reaches the high mountains around November, the biggest dumps arrive between December and February, and on the peaks it lasts into early June. The resorts, though, run to fixed planned dates. The three downhill resorts are down to open on 4 December 2026 and shut on 4 April 2027, and Naturland opens its cross-country trails on 28 November. As insurance, Grandvalira says it can make snow on 66% of its area, and Ordino Arcalís counts 101 cannons.

What the report won’t tell you

The piste report says nothing about roads. If you need to cross the Envalira pass or drive up to Arcalís on a snowy day, check the live traffic cameras from Andorra’s Department of Mobility or call +376 1802 1802, staffed day and night. Chains or winter tyres must be on board from 1 November to 15 May. With the report, a webcam and the road checked, you can choose your resort with confidence.