Michigan ยท season guide
Sledding season in Marquette
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Marquette weather station, about 1 miles from the middle of our Marquette hill list show November as the first month that averages an inch of snow or more (11.1 inches). The normals are monthly averages, so they can't give a first-snow date. Some years come early, some late.
October snow is part of the record here: the normal for that month is 0.9 inches.
January is the snowiest month on average, at 25.1 inches.
Across a normal year the station records about 102 inches of snow. That puts Marquette at 5 of 98 metros on this site, ranked from snowiest down.
Once it arrives, it tends to stay: about 125 days a year have at least an inch of snow on the ground.
For comparison, Green Bay, the nearest metro on our list, averages 55.6 inches, less than here.
All 1 hills we list here come from local sources rather than the park or city; sources call harlow 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 | 0.9 inches | 0.5 | 0.6 |
| November | 11.1 inches | 3.2 | 9.1 |
| December | 21.1 inches | 6.2 | 22.6 |
| January | 25.1 inches | 8.2 | 30.0 |
| February | 20.9 inches | 6.4 | 28.4 |
| March | 14.2 inches | 4.2 | 25.4 |
| April | 8.4 inches | 2.7 | 8.6 |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, station USW00014838. "Not stated by source" means NOAA publishes no value for that station.
Lit hills
None of the sources we used for Marquette 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 Marquette in the sources we checked. Individual parks may post their own signs, and those win.
Short answers
When does it usually start snowing in Marquette?
In NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Marquette 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 Marquette get in a year?
About 102 inches a year at the Marquette station, per NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals.
Are there lit sledding hills in Marquette?
None of the sources we used mention lights. Plan on daylight.
Updated