Wisconsin ยท season guide
Sledding season in Eau Claire
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Chippewa Valley Rgnl Airport weather station, about 4 miles from the middle of our Eau Claire hill list show November as the first month that averages an inch of snow or more (4.7 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 0.7 inches.
January is the snowiest month on average, at 13.5 inches.
Across a normal year the station records about 55.4 inches of snow. That puts Eau Claire at 29 of 98 metros on this site, ranked from snowiest down.
Once it arrives, it tends to stay: about 99 days a year have at least an inch of snow on the ground.
For comparison, La Crosse, the nearest metro on our list, averages 46.3 inches, less than here.
All 6 hills we list here come from local sources rather than the park or city; sources call forest hill (seven bumps) gentle; pinehurst park 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 | 0.7 inches | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| November | 4.7 inches | 1.7 | 5.2 |
| December | 11 inches | 3.5 | 20.6 |
| January | 13.5 inches | 3.9 | 26.8 |
| February | 11.2 inches | 3.0 | 25.8 |
| March | 9.6 inches | 2.5 | 17.6 |
| April | 4.3 inches | 1.3 | 3.1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, station USW00014991. "Not stated by source" means NOAA publishes no value for that station.
Lit hills
None of the sources we used for Eau Claire 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 Eau Claire in the sources we checked. Individual parks may post their own signs, and those win.
Short answers
When does it usually start snowing in Eau Claire?
In NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Chippewa Valley Rgnl 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 Eau Claire get in a year?
About 55.4 inches a year at the Chippewa Valley Rgnl Airport station, per NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals.
Are there lit sledding hills in Eau Claire?
None of the sources we used mention lights. Plan on daylight.
Updated