Idaho ยท season guide
Sledding season in Idaho Falls
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Idaho Falls 46 W weather station, about 46 miles from the middle of our Idaho Falls hill list show November as the first month that averages an inch of snow or more (2.3 inches). The normals are monthly averages, so they can't give a first-snow date. Some years come early, some late.
December is the snowiest month on average, at 7.6 inches.
Across a normal year the station records about 24.8 inches of snow. That puts Idaho Falls at 85 of 98 metros on this site, ranked from snowiest down.
Once it arrives, it tends to stay: about 77 days a year have at least an inch of snow on the ground.
For comparison, Logan, the nearest metro on our list, averages 51.9 inches, more than here.
3 of the 3 hills we list here come from a city, county or park district page.
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 | 0.4 inches | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| November | 2.3 inches | 1.1 | 3.8 |
| December | 7.6 inches | 3.2 | 20.0 |
| January | 7.2 inches | 3.2 | 24.7 |
| February | 4.4 inches | 1.9 | 19.2 |
| March | 1.9 inches | 0.9 | 8.9 |
| April | 1 inch | 0.4 | 0.3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, station USW00094143. "Not stated by source" means NOAA publishes no value for that station.
Lit hills
None of the sources we used for Idaho Falls 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 Idaho Falls in the sources we checked. Individual parks may post their own signs, and those win.
Short answers
When does it usually start snowing in Idaho Falls?
In NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Idaho Falls 46 W 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 Idaho Falls get in a year?
About 24.8 inches a year at the Idaho Falls 46 W station, per NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals.
Are there lit sledding hills in Idaho Falls?
None of the sources we used mention lights. Plan on daylight.
Updated