The Hallmark Channel is best known for its Christmas movies, but there are a huge number of non-holiday, winter-themed offerings in their lineup. The latter is a great reminder that Christmas is not the only thing that makes winter a magical season.
It may be cold outside, but these Hallmark movies will warm anyone’s heart, and provide plenty to appreciate before spring arrives. So grab a warm blanket, make some hot cocoa, and don’t forget slippers.
Updated on December 24, 2022 by Aya Tsintziras: The line-up of 2022 Hallmark Christmas movies is just as sweet and festive as ever, but fans of the channel shouldn’t forget the many movies that are set during the wintertime. There are several New Year’s Eve movies, including 2021’s A New Year’s Resolution starring Aimee Teegarden and Michael Rady. These movies are worth watching for the chemistry between couples and the romantic settings. From a writer visiting a cute B&B to a bookstore owner and hockey player teaming up, there are many sweet storylines in the most entertaining Hallmark winter movies that will satisfy fans of romance.
15/15 Snowkissed (2021) – 6.1
In Snowkissed, Kate (Jen Lilley) is a journalist who doesn’t love to travel, but when she gets a job helping Noah (Chris McNally), who runs a B&B, she changes her feelings. The movie’s title might be a little cutesy for some viewers, but the story is heartwarming.
A Hallmark film with a winter setting needs to really lean into the magic of the season, and Snowkissed definitely does that. The B&B has all the charm required of these stories and because Kate grows for the better, the movie feels satisfying.
14/15 Royal New Year’s Eve (2017) – 6.2
There are many great movies set during New Year’s Eve and it’s an exciting time full of possibilities. For some, Hallmark royal Christmas movies are some of the most entertaining that the channel has to offer. Royal New Year’s Eve combines both of these things.
Caitlyn (Jessy Schram) wants to design clothes and works for a socialite, and through her job, she meets Prince Jeffrey (Samuel Page). Unfortunately for her, socialite Isabelle (Hayley Sales) is set to marry him. The film has some good conflict and it’s easy to want Caitlyn to win her heart’s desire in the end.
13/15 A Royal Winter (2017) – 6.4
A Royal Winter is set during the chilliest time of the year, and it’s another romance featuring a regular person and a member of a royal family. The story sees Maggie (Merritt Patterson) going to Europe and interacting with a prince named Adrian (Jack Donnelly).
Because Maggie wanted to find herself on this trip and she ends up finding love, she goes on a journey, and the movie has the classic cheerful ending that everyone watching these types of movies hopes for. While the premise is whimsical and unrealistic, Maggie’s questions about her life are relatable.
12/15 Love In Winterland (2020) – 6.4
There are many Hallmark winter-themed movies about spending time in a small town for work, meeting a royal, going on a ski trip, or otherwise enjoying the season. Love in Winterland uses the snow and cold as the perfect romantic background for an unexpected second-chance romance, which is a fun trope.
Love In Winterland is perfect for fans of reality TV dating shows as Ally (Italia Ricci) goes on a “hometown date” and has to interact with Brett (Chad Michael Murray), whom she fell in love with in high school.
11/15 A Winter Princess (2019) – 6.4
There are tons of Hallmark movies that share the same trope about secret princes, but this movie is the rare exception, as it’s centered around a secret princess.
Princess Carly (Natalie Hall) is working incognito at a family-owned ski resort in Colorado to gain experience in the “real world” before she returns to her princess duties in Landora. As her final project, she is tasked with planning the resort’s 50th-anniversary celebration. The resort owner’s brother, Jesse (McNally), returns home to lend a hand, and the two fall in love. This movie is simple and sweet, and this trope really works here.
10/15 Love On The Slopes (2018) – 6.4
This is a classic Hallmark story that features another common trope: the big-city girl who goes to a small town to find love. NYC-based editor, Alex (Katrina Bowden), is sent on a writing assignment to attempt “extreme sports” in Colorado. She recruits the help of Cole (Thomas Beaudoin), a local artist and avid extreme sportsman, in exchange for helping him host a local arts festival.
Since Alex is a clumsy, “inside girl,” falling in love with Cole helps her go on a journey and experience change. She is timid and flails at first, but the romance makes her think carefully about the life that she has in NYC.
9/15 Winter Castle (2019) – 6.5
Kevin McGarry and Emilie Ullerup star in the snowy delight In Winter Castle. Jenny (Emilie Ullerup) is a California native who is excited to attend her sister’s destination wedding in an ice hotel.
The hotel is magical, and Jenny finds herself instantly attracted to Craig, the best man at the wedding. The real ice hotel where the movie is filmed is the Hotel de Glace, located just outside of Quebec City. This movie doesn’t immediately catch the attention of viewers, as the plot is a bit thin, but the amazing ice hotel is stunning.
8/15 Two For The Win (2021) – 6.5
Two for the Win tells the tale of Justin (Trevor Donovan), a world-champion ski racer who is training hard for a comeback after recovering from a serious injury. He returns to his hometown where he hires his childhood best friend Kayla (Charlotte Sullivan) to help him train.
This is a rare sports film in the Hallmark franchise, and it was a hit with fans. Interestingly, Donovan was on the U.S.A. teen national ski team and is actually skiing in the movie (per Hallmark Channel). The dynamic between Kayla and Justin is entertaining to watch as their feelings for each other aren’t completely obvious.
7/15 Frozen In Love (2018) – 6.6
Another Hallmark winter movie with an adorable title, Frozen in Love puts two opposite characters together in a situation where they can’t help but fall for each other. Mary (Rachael Leigh Cook) runs a bookstore that has seen better days and Adam (Niall Matter) is a rebellious hockey player.
The characters have a common goal: to team up so they can achieve their goals. The movie might not be the most original as these tropes and storylines have been seen many times before, but the characters bring the story to life. Their goals and dreams make sense.
6/15 One Winter Weekend (2018) – 6.6
One Winter Weekend is the story of Cara (Taylor Cole), a relationship columnist in Seattle who is dumped by her boyfriend on New Year’s Eve. She consequentially goes on a dating cleanse and a weekend getaway to a ski resort with her best friend, Megan (Rukiya Bernard).
A double booking accident puts the friends in the same chateau as two strangers, Ben (Jack Turner) and Sean (Dewshane Williams). Cara and Ben butt heads, at first, but develop a connection over their love of books and snowboarding. This movie has phenomenal banter between each of the characters. It also features two of Hallmark’s best side characters in Megan and Sean, who are both charming and hilarious.
5/15 One Winter Proposal (2019) – 6.6
Hallmark brought back the cast of the fan-favorite One Winter Weekend in this sequel. The movie shows Cara and Ben completely in love, and Megan and Sean reconnecting. Planning to propose, Ben organizes a romantic winter getaway back to the ski resort where they first met. Cara’s book is coming out soon and Ben is in negotiations with an investor to start up his new snowboarding company.
Ben misreads something in Cara’s manuscript, nearly throwing the proposal off-course, until the two make up and finally have their moment. The trilogy ended in 2021 with One Perfect Wedding, which was definitely one of the most anticipated 2021 Hallmark movies. While the movie does have a classic trope since the characters misunderstand each other, fans of the original will like seeing these characters again.
4/15 Hearts Of Winter (2020) – 6.7
Bethany Cain (Jill Wagner), a talented interior designer, is on the brink of making it big with a newly published book. To market it, she holds a contest for an all-expenses-paid home makeover, which is getting coverage from a national magazine. She only has three weeks to choose the contestant winner and complete the makeover before Christmas.
She chooses 13-year-old Zoe Oliver (Lauren McNamara) and her widowed father, Grant (Victor Webster). Grant is resistant to changes to the house, which reminds him of his late wife. With the help of several friends, Bethany is able to break down Grant’s walls, along with the walls of his house, and the two fall in love. This is a charming and sweet story and the metaphor of the house is satisfying, making this movie definitely worth the watch.
3/15 Winter Love Story (2019) – 7.0
Winter Love Story tells the tale of a barista, Cassie (Lilly), who has just finished her first book, a humorous story about how she dealt with a breakup. Cassie is shy and prefers to stay out of the public eye, which makes promoting the book tough, and she’s hiding the fact that her mother is a famous novelist.
The movie sees Cassie falling in love with Elliot (McGarry), a successful author whom she is paired up with. While of course the two are annoyed with each other, the chemistry is real, which makes this one of the sweetest stories in a Hallmark winter-themed movie.
2/15 Winter In Vail (2020)- 7.0
Winter in Vail stars Lacey Chabert, whose best movie roles include Gretchen in Mean Girls. Chabert became a perennial player on the Hallmark Channel, and here she plays Chelsea, who inherits a chalet in Vail from her late uncle. Chelsea quits her event planning job in L.A. and moves to the mountain resort town to begin the next chapter in her life.
The chalet is in need of some major repairs, so she hires a local contractor, Owen Becker (Tyler Hynes). Owen shows her around town, takes her on hikes, and introduces her to his family. Owen’s father owns a Bavarian restaurant that was made famous by Chelsea’s uncle’s famous strudel recipe. Chelsea discovers the lost recipe and she and Owen organize an event called “Strudelfest” to bring customers back to the restaurant. Of course, they find success and love. This movie has beautiful scenery and the love story feels organic and genuine.
1/15 Taking A Shot At Love (2021)- 7.1
Taking a Shot at Love tells the story of Ryan “Coop” Cooper (Luke McFarlane), a hockey star who is sidelined from the New York Rangers with an ankle injury, and ballet instructor Jenna (Alexa PenaVega), who is hired to help him rehabilitate.
Because Jenna had a similar injury, she can help Ryan. While it’s obvious where the plot will go, it’s still endearing watching the characters connect. Ryan and Jenna have a series of very cute winter dates involving bonfires, hot cocoa, power outages, and board games with friends. At the end of the movie, Ryan is healed and offered a spot back on the team roster, and the two are happily in love.
