Michigan ยท season guide
Sledding season in Kalamazoo
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Grand Rapids weather station, about 42 miles from the middle of our Kalamazoo hill list show November as the first month that averages an inch of snow or more (7.1 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 22.6 inches.
Across a normal year the station records about 77.6 inches of snow. That puts Kalamazoo at 12 of 98 metros on this site, ranked from snowiest down.
Snow doesn't sit around long, though. Only about 68 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 Grand Rapids, the nearest metro on our list (77.6 inches).
Grand Rapids uses the same weather station on this site, so the snow numbers match. The hills don't.
All 4 hills we list here come from local sources rather than the park or city; kindleberger park (scout hill) 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 | 0.3 inches | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| November | 7.1 inches | 2.0 | 3.2 |
| December | 20.8 inches | 6.1 | 14.3 |
| January | 22.6 inches | 7.2 | 23.0 |
| February | 17.2 inches | 5.5 | 18.0 |
| March | 7.6 inches | 2.1 | 8.2 |
| April | 2 inches | 0.5 | 0.7 |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, station USW00094860. "Not stated by source" means NOAA publishes no value for that station.
Lit hills
None of the sources we used for Kalamazoo 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 Kalamazoo in the sources we checked. Individual parks may post their own signs, and those win.
Short answers
When does it usually start snowing in Kalamazoo?
In NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Grand Rapids 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 Kalamazoo get in a year?
About 77.6 inches a year at the Grand Rapids station, per NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals.
Are there lit sledding hills in Kalamazoo?
None of the sources we used mention lights. Plan on daylight.
Updated