Indiana ยท season guide
Sledding season in Fort Wayne
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Ft Wayne Intl. Airport weather station, about 12 miles from the middle of our Fort Wayne hill list show November as the first month that averages an inch of snow or more (1.9 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 10.8 inches.
Across a normal year the station records about 33.6 inches of snow. That puts Fort Wayne at 69 of 98 metros on this site, ranked from snowiest down.
About 38 days a year have an inch or more of snow on the ground.
For comparison, South Bend, the nearest metro on our list, averages 64.5 inches, more than here.
1 of the 8 hills we list here come from a city, county or park district page; sources call Salomon Farm 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 | 0.1 inches | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| November | 1.9 inches | 0.5 | 1.1 |
| December | 7.6 inches | 2.1 | 7.6 |
| January | 10.8 inches | 3.5 | 14.7 |
| February | 7.8 inches | 2.8 | 11.0 |
| March | 4.6 inches | 1.5 | 3.6 |
| April | 0.8 inches | 0.3 | 0.3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, station USW00014827. "Not stated by source" means NOAA publishes no value for that station.
Lit hills
None of the sources we used for Fort Wayne 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 Wayne 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 Wayne?
In NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Ft Wayne 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 Fort Wayne get in a year?
About 33.6 inches a year at the Ft Wayne Intl. Airport station, per NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals.
Are there lit sledding hills in Fort Wayne?
None of the sources we used mention lights. Plan on daylight.
Updated