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Kentucky ยท season guide

Sledding season in Lexington

NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Lexington Bluegrass Airport weather station, about 6 miles from the middle of our Lexington hill list show December 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.

Unusually, March (2.8 inches) averages more snow than December (1.9 inches), so the season runs late.

Across a normal year the station records about 14.5 inches of snow. That puts Lexington at 95 of 98 metros on this site, ranked from snowiest down.

Expect a short window. About 12 days a year have an inch or more of snow on the ground, so the morning after a storm counts.

That's close to Louisville, the nearest metro on our list (13.4 inches).

All 7 hills we list here come from local sources rather than the park or city.

Month by month

Monthly normals, 1991 to 2020, Lexington Bluegrass Airport (NOAA NCEI)
MonthAverage snowfallDays with 1 inch or more of new snowDays with 1 inch or more on the ground
October0 inches0.00.0
November0.4 inches0.20.3
December1.9 inches0.62.0
January4.7 inches1.34.1
February4.5 inches1.24.0
March2.8 inches0.71.5
April0.2 inches0.00.0

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, station USW00093820. "Not stated by source" means NOAA publishes no value for that station.

Lit hills

None of the sources we used for Lexington 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 Lexington in the sources we checked. Individual parks may post their own signs, and those win.

Short answers

When does it usually start snowing in Lexington?

In NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Lexington Bluegrass 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 Lexington get in a year?

About 14.5 inches a year at the Lexington Bluegrass Airport station, per NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals.

Are there lit sledding hills in Lexington?

None of the sources we used mention lights. Plan on daylight.

Updated