Kentucky ยท season guide
Sledding season in Louisville
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Louisville Intl. Airport weather station, about 3 miles from the middle of our Louisville hill list show December as the first month that averages an inch of snow or more (2.2 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 4.5 inches.
Across a normal year the station records about 13.4 inches of snow. That puts Louisville at 97 of 98 metros on this site, ranked from snowiest down.
Expect a short window. About 11 days a year have an inch or more of snow on the ground, so the morning after a storm counts.
That's close to Lexington, the nearest metro on our list (14.5 inches).
5 of the 5 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 | 0.1 inches | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| November | 0.3 inches | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| December | 2.2 inches | 0.7 | 2.2 |
| January | 4.5 inches | 1.5 | 4.6 |
| February | 4.1 inches | 1.1 | 3.3 |
| March | 2.1 inches | 0.6 | 0.9 |
| April | 0.1 inches | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, station USW00093821. "Not stated by source" means NOAA publishes no value for that station.
Lit hills
None of the sources we used for Louisville mention lights on a sledding hill. Plan on daylight, and see our national lit hills list if you're travelling.
Local rules
- Louisville Parks: sled only on designated hills, with 2 to 3 in. of snow, and not when grass shows. Source
Short answers
When does it usually start snowing in Louisville?
In NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Louisville 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 Louisville get in a year?
About 13.4 inches a year at the Louisville Intl. Airport station, per NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals.
Are there lit sledding hills in Louisville?
None of the sources we used mention lights. Plan on daylight.
Updated