Pennsylvania ยท season guide
Sledding season in Harrisburg
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Middletown Harrisburg Intl. Airport weather station, about 7 miles from the middle of our Harrisburg hill list show December as the first month that averages an inch of snow or more (4.4 inches). The normals are monthly averages, so they can't give a first-snow date. Some years come early, some late.
Unusually, March (5.6 inches) averages more snow than December (4.4 inches), so the season runs late.
Across a normal year the station records about 29.9 inches of snow. That puts Harrisburg at 75 of 98 metros on this site, ranked from snowiest down.
About 26 days a year have an inch or more of snow on the ground.
For comparison, State College, the nearest metro on our list, averages 35.8 inches, more than here.
All 2 hills we list here come from local sources rather than the park or city; sources call fort hunter 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 | 0.2 inches | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| November | 0.8 inches | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| December | 4.4 inches | 1.2 | 4.0 |
| January | 9.1 inches | 2.3 | 8.9 |
| February | 9.4 inches | 2.7 | 9.3 |
| March | 5.6 inches | 1.3 | 3.5 |
| April | 0.4 inches | 0.1 | 0.2 |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, station USW00014711. "Not stated by source" means NOAA publishes no value for that station.
Lit hills
None of the sources we used for Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg in the sources we checked. Individual parks may post their own signs, and those win.
Short answers
When does it usually start snowing in Harrisburg?
In NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Middletown Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg get in a year?
About 29.9 inches a year at the Middletown Harrisburg Intl. Airport station, per NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals.
Are there lit sledding hills in Harrisburg?
None of the sources we used mention lights. Plan on daylight.
Updated