Otepää has two distinct seasons that interest a traveller. Winter (December–March) is the busy time: ski racing, sledding, and the Tartu Marathon cross-country ski event in February, which pulls more than 5,000 skiers along a 63 km course finishing in Otepää. Snow is reliable from January through early March but warmer winters have shortened the season.
Summer (June–August) is the other season — long, light evenings, wildflower meadows, lake swimming, and a quiet rhythm without the ski-race crowds. The shoulder seasons (April–May, October–November) are muddy and grey, and the town largely closes; avoid those months unless you have a specific reason to be here.