Connecticut ยท season guide
Sledding season in New Haven
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Igor I Sikorsky Mem Airport weather station, about 16 miles from the middle of our New Haven hill list show December as the first month that averages an inch of snow or more (5.5 inches). The normals are monthly averages, so they can't give a first-snow date. Some years come early, some late.
Unusually, March (7 inches) averages more snow than December (5.5 inches), so the season runs late.
Across a normal year the station records about 33.6 inches of snow. That puts New Haven at 70 of 98 metros on this site, ranked from snowiest down.
About 34 days a year have an inch or more of snow on the ground.
For comparison, Hartford, the nearest metro on our list, averages 51.7 inches, more than here.
All 5 hills we list here come from local sources rather than the park or city; sources call east rock park north meadow gentle; pine rock park is described as steep.
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 | 0.9 inches | 0.2 | 0.3 |
| December | 5.5 inches | 1.6 | 4.9 |
| January | 8.5 inches | 2.7 | 10.7 |
| February | 10.7 inches | 2.4 | 11.5 |
| March | 7 inches | 1.9 | 6.0 |
| April | 0.9 inches | 0.3 | 0.2 |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, station USW00094702. "Not stated by source" means NOAA publishes no value for that station.
Lit hills
None of the sources we used for New Haven 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 New Haven in the sources we checked. Individual parks may post their own signs, and those win.
Short answers
When does it usually start snowing in New Haven?
In NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Igor I Sikorsky Mem 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 New Haven get in a year?
About 33.6 inches a year at the Igor I Sikorsky Mem Airport station, per NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals.
Are there lit sledding hills in New Haven?
None of the sources we used mention lights. Plan on daylight.
Updated