Minnesota ยท season guide
Sledding season in Duluth
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Duluth weather station, about 9 miles from the middle of our Duluth hill list show October as the first month that averages an inch of snow or more (2.7 inches). The normals are monthly averages, so they can't give a first-snow date. Some years come early, some late.
October snow is part of the record here: the normal for that month is 2.7 inches.
December is the snowiest month on average, at 18.7 inches.
Across a normal year the station records about 90.2 inches of snow. That puts Duluth at 7 of 98 metros on this site, ranked from snowiest down.
Once it arrives, it tends to stay: about 137 days a year have at least an inch of snow on the ground.
For comparison, St. Cloud, the nearest metro on our list, averages 47.9 inches, less than here.
1 of the 8 hills we list here come from a city, county or park district page; sources call Central Park and Fire Engine Park 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 | 2.7 inches | 0.8 | 1.6 |
| November | 14.1 inches | 3.7 | 13.0 |
| December | 18.7 inches | 5.1 | 27.1 |
| January | 16.8 inches | 4.6 | 30.7 |
| February | 15.1 inches | 4.5 | 28.0 |
| March | 12.8 inches | 3.6 | 26.8 |
| April | 9.1 inches | 2.3 | 9.8 |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, station USW00014913. "Not stated by source" means NOAA publishes no value for that station.
Lit hills
None of the sources we used for Duluth 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 Duluth in the sources we checked. Individual parks may post their own signs, and those win.
Short answers
When does it usually start snowing in Duluth?
In NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Duluth station, October is the first month averaging an inch of snow or more. The normals are monthly averages, not a date.
How much snow does Duluth get in a year?
About 90.2 inches a year at the Duluth station, per NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals.
Are there lit sledding hills in Duluth?
None of the sources we used mention lights. Plan on daylight.
Updated