Colorado ยท season guide
Sledding season in Fort Collins
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Ft Collins weather station show October as the first month that averages an inch of snow or more (4.1 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 4.1 inches.
Unusually, March (9.4 inches) averages more snow than December (7.5 inches), so the season runs late.
Across a normal year the station records about 51.4 inches of snow. That puts Fort Collins at 37 of 98 metros on this site, ranked from snowiest down.
Snow doesn't sit around long, though. Only about 44 days a year have an inch or more on the ground, which is low for this much snowfall. Go soon after a storm.
That's close to Boulder, the nearest metro on our list (49 inches).
All 5 hills we list here come from local sources rather than the park or city; sources call city 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 | 4.1 inches | 0.8 | 1.3 |
| November | 7.6 inches | 1.9 | 4.5 |
| December | 7.5 inches | 2.3 | 11.4 |
| January | 6.7 inches | 2.1 | 12.3 |
| February | 7.6 inches | 2.7 | 8.3 |
| March | 9.4 inches | 2.3 | 3.9 |
| April | 6.2 inches | 1.8 | 1.5 |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, station USC00053005. "Not stated by source" means NOAA publishes no value for that station.
Lit hills
None of the sources we used for Fort Collins 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 Fort Collins in the sources we checked. Individual parks may post their own signs, and those win.
Short answers
When does it usually start snowing in Fort Collins?
In NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Ft Collins 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 Fort Collins get in a year?
About 51.4 inches a year at the Ft Collins station, per NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals.
Are there lit sledding hills in Fort Collins?
None of the sources we used mention lights. Plan on daylight.
Updated