Ohio ยท season guide
Sledding season in Dayton
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Dayton Intl. Airport weather station, about 2 miles from the middle of our Dayton hill list show December as the first month that averages an inch of snow or more (4.8 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 8.3 inches.
Across a normal year the station records about 25 inches of snow. That puts Dayton at 84 of 98 metros on this site, ranked from snowiest down.
About 27 days a year have an inch or more of snow on the ground.
That's close to Cincinnati, the nearest metro on our list (23.3 inches).
3 of the 8 hills we list here come from a city, county or park district page; Community Golf Course ("Suicide Hill") is described as steep.
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 | 0.1 |
| November | 0.8 inches | 0.3 | 0.5 |
| December | 4.8 inches | 1.6 | 5.6 |
| January | 8.3 inches | 2.6 | 10.7 |
| February | 6.6 inches | 2.0 | 8.0 |
| March | 3.9 inches | 1.1 | 2.3 |
| April | 0.4 inches | 0.1 | 0.1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, station USW00093815. "Not stated by source" means NOAA publishes no value for that station.
Lit hills
None of the sources we used for Dayton 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 Dayton in the sources we checked. Individual parks may post their own signs, and those win.
Short answers
When does it usually start snowing in Dayton?
In NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Dayton 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 Dayton get in a year?
About 25 inches a year at the Dayton Intl. Airport station, per NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals.
Are there lit sledding hills in Dayton?
None of the sources we used mention lights. Plan on daylight.
Updated