Ohio ยท season guide
Sledding season in Columbus
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the John Glenn Intl. Airport weather station, about 8 miles from the middle of our Columbus hill list show November as the first month that averages an inch of snow or more (1.2 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 9.5 inches.
Across a normal year the station records about 28.2 inches of snow. That puts Columbus at 78 of 98 metros on this site, ranked from snowiest down.
About 26 days a year have an inch or more of snow on the ground.
For comparison, Dayton, the nearest metro on our list, averages 25 inches, less than here.
8 of the 8 hills we list here come from a city, county or park district page; sources call Walnut Woods gentle.
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 | 0.2 inches | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| November | 1.2 inches | 0.4 | 0.6 |
| December | 5.1 inches | 1.7 | 5.1 |
| January | 9.5 inches | 2.8 | 10.7 |
| February | 7.6 inches | 2.6 | 7.5 |
| March | 4.1 inches | 1.0 | 2.5 |
| April | 0.5 inches | 0.2 | 0.1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, station USW00014821. "Not stated by source" means NOAA publishes no value for that station.
Lit hills
None of the sources we used for Columbus mention lights on a sledding hill. Plan on daylight, and see our national lit hills list if you're travelling.
Local rules
- Metro Parks sledding hills are bring-your-own-sled and monitored by park staff. Source
Short answers
When does it usually start snowing in Columbus?
In NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the John Glenn 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 Columbus get in a year?
About 28.2 inches a year at the John Glenn Intl. Airport station, per NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals.
Are there lit sledding hills in Columbus?
None of the sources we used mention lights. Plan on daylight.
Updated