Missouri ยท season guide
Sledding season in Kansas City
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Kansas City Intl. Airport weather station, about 19 miles from the middle of our Kansas City hill list show November as the first month that averages an inch of snow or more (1.1 inches). The normals are monthly averages, so they can't give a first-snow date. Some years come early, some late.
February is the snowiest month on average, at 5.9 inches.
Across a normal year the station records about 18.2 inches of snow. That puts Kansas City at 92 of 98 metros on this site, ranked from snowiest down.
About 21 days a year have an inch or more of snow on the ground.
For comparison, Lincoln, the nearest metro on our list, averages 26 inches, more than here.
All 13 hills we list here come from local sources rather than the park or city; sources call gillham 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 | 0.3 inches | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| November | 1.1 inches | 0.3 | 0.7 |
| December | 4 inches | 1.5 | 4.7 |
| January | 4.9 inches | 1.7 | 8.0 |
| February | 5.9 inches | 1.5 | 5.0 |
| March | 1.7 inches | 0.5 | 1.9 |
| April | 0.3 inches | 0.2 | 0.2 |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, station USW00003947. "Not stated by source" means NOAA publishes no value for that station.
Lit hills
None of the sources we used for Kansas City 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 Kansas City in the sources we checked. Individual parks may post their own signs, and those win.
Short answers
When does it usually start snowing in Kansas City?
In NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Kansas City 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 Kansas City get in a year?
About 18.2 inches a year at the Kansas City Intl. Airport station, per NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals.
Are there lit sledding hills in Kansas City?
None of the sources we used mention lights. Plan on daylight.
Updated