Maryland ยท season guide
Sledding season in Baltimore
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Baltimore-Washington Intl. Airport weather station, about 10 miles from the middle of our Baltimore hill list show December as the first month that averages an inch of snow or more (2.5 inches). The normals are monthly averages, so they can't give a first-snow date. Some years come early, some late.
Unusually, March (2.8 inches) averages more snow than December (2.5 inches), so the season runs late.
Across a normal year the station records about 19.3 inches of snow. That puts Baltimore at 91 of 98 metros on this site, ranked from snowiest down.
Expect a short window. About 13 days a year have an inch or more of snow on the ground, so the morning after a storm counts.
For comparison, Washington, DC area, the nearest metro on our list, averages 13.7 inches, less than here.
All 7 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 inches | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| November | 0.1 inches | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| December | 2.5 inches | 0.8 | 2.0 |
| January | 6.4 inches | 1.5 | 4.3 |
| February | 7.5 inches | 1.5 | 5.2 |
| March | 2.8 inches | 0.8 | 1.6 |
| April | 0 inches | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, station USW00093721. "Not stated by source" means NOAA publishes no value for that station.
Lit hills
None of the sources we used for Baltimore 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 Baltimore in the sources we checked. Individual parks may post their own signs, and those win.
Short answers
When does it usually start snowing in Baltimore?
In NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Baltimore-Washington Intl. Airport station, December is the first month averaging an inch of snow or more. The normals are monthly averages, not a date.
How much snow does Baltimore get in a year?
About 19.3 inches a year at the Baltimore-Washington Intl. Airport station, per NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals.
Are there lit sledding hills in Baltimore?
None of the sources we used mention lights. Plan on daylight.
Updated