Zakopane Weather by Season: When Is the Best Time to Visit?

Season by Season

The average annual air temperature at the foot of the Tatras is about 6 °C and about -4 °C in the highest parts, falling about 0.5 °C per 100 m of height. Annual precipitation is about 1,200 mm at the foot of the mountains and almost 1,800 mm on Kasprowy Wierch. Use a live forecast for the week you travel, since snowfall varies month to month.

A Mid-November Reading

Mid-November swings between rain, snow and sun, which is why a November day needs layers and a plan that works in any of them. The growing season lasts over 180 days in Zakopane and under 90 days on Kasprowy Wierch, which shows how much shorter the warm season is at height.

Pick by Activity

Warm months suit the Kasprowy Wierch cable car, the Gubalowka funicular and the walk to Morskie Oko. The Mrozna Cave in the Koscieliska Valley is open daily 9:00-17:00 from 26 April to 31 October. Real oscypek is made in the pastoral season from May to September, so the cheese stall is at its most authentic in that window.

Winter suits the thermal baths, which are open 9:00-22:00 at Termy Bukovina and keep water at 30-38 °C. Terma Bania has thermal water at 34-38 °C and its pools work regardless of weather. A snowmobile ride is a winter product, for example Zakopane Snowmobile and Thermal Baths Day Trip from Krakow at 10 hours.

• Lifts and trails: July and August.
• Cave and oscypek season: May to October.
• Baths: any month, best in cold or wet weather.
• Snowmobiles: winter, when snow lies.

Where to Check Snow

The Tatra National Park suspended all e-bus rides to Morskie Oko from 14 November because of snow on the road, until further notice. A live forecast gives a 10-day or 14-day view with rain and snow amounts per day, and warnings for snow or ice.

From 1 December to 15 May TPN closes the trails from Morskie Oko to the Valley of Five Polish Ponds, the Czerwone Wierchy trail from Dolina Tomanowa to Chuda Przelecz, and the Giewont trail from Przelecz w Grzybowcu to Przelecz Kondracka Wyzna. Other trails stay open but are usually fully covered in snow and the decision to go is your own.

Avalanche Information

Poland uses a five-level avalanche danger scale, and TOPR publishes the daily avalanche bulletin. Read it before you leave the valley floor.

What to Expect

TPN records the lowest temperatures in January and February and about 1,200 mm of annual precipitation at the foot of the mountains. Trail closures run from 1 December to 15 May, which brackets the snow season on the higher routes. For a day trip, treat December to February as the snow window and confirm the week before.

If you want snow for a snowmobile day, choose a tour built around it, for example Zakopane Snowmobile and Thermal Baths Day Trip from Krakow, where the snowmobile rental is 400 PLN per two-seater and does not accept card payments.

Lifts and Wind

The halny wind on Tatra ridges blows on average 80-100 km/h with gusts often reaching 140-150 km/h. The Kasprowy Wierch cable car is taken out of service every May and November and does not run in strong wind, icing or temperatures below -28 °C. If it does not run because of strong wind you can return your Tourpass and receive 100% of the price back. A round-trip Tourpass has a fixed return time that cannot be changed, and you must be at the Kuznice lower station 15 minutes before the time printed on it.

The Gubalowka resort is closed for technical maintenance from 16 to 27 November, with replacement coaches to the summit from 9:30 to 19:00. Do not plan the day around a view. If you ride up, leave extra time at the lower station and check the operator's page the morning of travel. If a lift is shut, a day with baths and the Krupowki walk still holds together.

• Kasprowy Wierch cable car: wind, icing, May and November maintenance.
• Gubalowka funicular: closed 16-27 November.
• Morskie Oko e-buses: suspended for snow from 14 November.
• Chocholowskie Termy slide tower: closed 16-18 November.

Timing the Day

Short November days set how long a day in Zakopane lasts. From 1 March to 30 November you must be off the Tatra trails before sunset. A tour of 9 to 11 hours, such as Zakopane Tour from Krakow with Gubalowka Funicular and Hotel Pickup at 9 hours, leaves only part of that for Zakopane, so ask the operator how many hours you get on the ground.

For the Morskie Oko walk TPN recommends at least 7 hours, about 2.5 hours each way on foot plus about 2 hours at the lake. In short winter days that is only possible when the road and trail are open.

What Local Tickets Cost

The table sets official prices side by side. Termy Bukovina and Chocholowskie Termy price weekdays below weekends in the low season, so a Monday to Thursday visit costs less than a Friday to Sunday one.

Lifts and Park Entry

The Gubalowka funicular return is PLN 42 at the ticket office in the low season, and PLN 37 online. A standard single-day Tatra National Park entry ticket is PLN 11, and the reduced ticket is PLN 5.50. Chocholowskie Termy charges PLN 95 for a 3-hour adult pool ticket on a Monday to Thursday in the low season.

The Kasprowy Wierch cable car costs PLN 129 return in the low season, and the Tourpass includes the park entry. A tour price does not replace these, so ask what your ticket already covers.

Town Versus Summit

The lower cable car station at Kuznice and the upper station at 1,959 m are far apart in height, and the summit of Kasprowy Wierch is 1,987 m. The cable car covers a 936 m height difference, so a mild day in town can be freezing at the top. Pack a windproof layer, gloves and a hat even in summer, and expect the wind to be stronger on the ridge.

The Mrozna Cave tourist route is about 500 m long, takes 30-40 minutes and stays below 10 °C. It is not lit, so bring your own torch or headlamp. In the baths you need swimwear and a towel, and a bath day suits cold or wet weather because the pools work regardless of the weather. Good shoes with grip matter more than the temperature on snowy pavements.