Although greenhouse gas emissions during winter contribute significantly to annual balances, their quantification is still highly uncertain in snow-covered ecosystems. Here, carbon dioxide (CO sub(2)), methane (CH sub(4)) and nitrous oxide (N sub(2)O) fluxes were measured at a subalpine managed grassland in Switzerland using concentration gradients within the snowpack (CO sub(2), CH sub(4), N sub(2)O) and the eddy covariance method (CO sub(2)) during the winter 2010/2011. Our objectives were (1) to identify the temporal and spatial variation of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and their drivers, and (2) to estimate the GHG budget of the site during this specific season (1 December-31 March, 121 days). Mean winter fluxes (December-March) based on the gradient method were 0.77 plus or minus 0.54 mu mol m super(-2) s super(-1) for CO sub(2) (1.19 plus or minus 1.05 mu mol m super(-2) s super(-1) measured by eddy covariance), -0.14 plus or minus 0.09 nmol m super(-2) s super(-1) for CH sub(4) and 0.23 plus or minus 0.23 nmol m super(-2) s super(-1) for N sub(2)O, respectively. In comparison with the CO sub(2) fluxes measured by eddy covariance, the gradient technique underestimated the effluxes by 50%. While CO sub(2) and CH sub(4) fluxes decreased with the progressing winter season, N sub(2)O fluxes did not follow a seasonal pattern. The major variables correlating with the fluxes of CO sub(2) and CH sub(4) were soil temperature and snow water equivalent, which is based on snow height and snow density. N sub(2)O fluxes were only explained poorly by any of the measured environmental variables. Spatial variability across the valley floor was smallest for CO sub(2) and largest for N sub(2)O. During the winter season 2010/2011, greenhouse gas fluxes ranged between 550 plus or minus 540 g CO sub(2) m super(-2) estimated by the eddy covariance approach and 543 plus or minus 247 g CO sub(2) m super(-2), -0.4 plus or minus 0.01 g CH sub(4) m super(-2) and 0.11 plus or minus 0.1 g N sub(2)O m super(-2) derived by the gradient technique. Total seasonal greenhouse gas emissions from the grassland were between 574 plus or minus 276 and 581 plus or minus 569 g CO sub(2) eq. m super(-2), with N sub(2)O contributing 5% to the overall budget and CH sub(4) reducing the budget by 0.1%. Cumulative budgets of CO sub(2) were smaller than emissions reported for other subalpine meadows in the Swiss Alps and the Rocky Mountains. Further investigations on the GHG exchange of grasslands in winter are needed in order to (1) deepen our currently limited knowledge on the environmental drivers of each GHG, (2) to thoroughly constrain annual balances, and (3) to project possible changes in GHG flux magnitude with expected shorter and warmer winter periods.