Wisconsin ยท season guide
Sledding season in Milwaukee
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Milwaukee Mitchell Airport weather station, about 7 miles from the middle of our Milwaukee hill list show November as the first month that averages an inch of snow or more (2.5 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 14.9 inches.
Across a normal year the station records about 48.7 inches of snow. That puts Milwaukee at 45 of 98 metros on this site, ranked from snowiest down.
Snow doesn't sit around long, though. Only about 58 days a year have an inch or more on the ground, which is low for this much snowfall. Go soon after a storm.
For comparison, Madison, the nearest metro on our list, averages 51.8 inches, more than here.
12 of the 15 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 | 0.3 inches | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| November | 2.5 inches | 0.7 | 1.7 |
| December | 10.4 inches | 2.8 | 11.1 |
| January | 14.9 inches | 4.5 | 20.4 |
| February | 11.8 inches | 3.2 | 16.7 |
| March | 6.7 inches | 1.9 | 7.5 |
| April | 2.1 inches | 0.5 | 0.8 |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, station USW00014839. "Not stated by source" means NOAA publishes no value for that station.
Lit hills
3 hills on our Milwaukee list have lights according to the cited source. Light schedules change, so check the source page before a night trip.
- Currie ParkLights mentioned by source
- Humboldt ParkLights mentioned by source
- Whitnall ParkLit daily 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., weather permitting.
Local rules
We didn't find a city-wide sledding rule for Milwaukee in the sources we checked. Individual parks may post their own signs, and those win.
Hours and status lines
Where a source gives hours or a phone line for hill status, here it is. Call before a long drive.
Short answers
When does it usually start snowing in Milwaukee?
In NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Milwaukee Mitchell 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 Milwaukee get in a year?
About 48.7 inches a year at the Milwaukee Mitchell Airport station, per NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals.
Are there lit sledding hills in Milwaukee?
Yes. 3 hills on our list have lights per the cited source: Currie Park, Humboldt Park, Whitnall Park.
Updated