New York ยท season guide
Sledding season in Albany
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Albany Intl. Airport weather station, about 3 miles from the middle of our Albany hill list show November as the first month that averages an inch of snow or more (2.6 inches). The normals are monthly averages, so they can't give a first-snow date. Some years come early, some late.
January is the snowiest month on average, at 15.6 inches.
Across a normal year the station records about 59.2 inches of snow. That puts Albany at 25 of 98 metros on this site, ranked from snowiest down.
Snow doesn't sit around long, though. Only about 57 days a year have an inch or more on the ground, which is low for this much snowfall. Go soon after a storm.
For comparison, Springfield, MA, the nearest metro on our list, averages 36.6 inches, less than here.
All 5 hills we list here come from local sources rather than the park or city.
Month by month
| Month | Average snowfall | Days with 1 inch or more of new snow | Days with 1 inch or more on the ground |
|---|---|---|---|
| October | 0.3 inches | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| November | 2.6 inches | 0.8 | 1.9 |
| December | 13.3 inches | 3.4 | 10.3 |
| January | 15.6 inches | 3.9 | 18.0 |
| February | 13.7 inches | 3.3 | 15.9 |
| March | 12 inches | 2.6 | 10.0 |
| April | 1.6 inches | 0.5 | 0.8 |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, station USW00014735. "Not stated by source" means NOAA publishes no value for that station.
Lit hills
None of the sources we used for Albany mention lights on a sledding hill. Plan on daylight, and see our national lit hills list if you're travelling.
Local rules
We didn't find a city-wide sledding rule for Albany in the sources we checked. Individual parks may post their own signs, and those win.
Short answers
When does it usually start snowing in Albany?
In NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Albany Intl. Airport station, November is the first month averaging an inch of snow or more. The normals are monthly averages, not a date.
How much snow does Albany get in a year?
About 59.2 inches a year at the Albany Intl. Airport station, per NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals.
Are there lit sledding hills in Albany?
None of the sources we used mention lights. Plan on daylight.
Updated