New York ยท season guide
Sledding season in New York City
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Ny City Cntrl Park weather station, about 2 miles from the middle of our New York City hill list show December as the first month that averages an inch of snow or more (4.9 inches). The normals are monthly averages, so they can't give a first-snow date. Some years come early, some late.
Unusually, March (5 inches) averages more snow than December (4.9 inches), so the season runs late.
Across a normal year the station records about 29.8 inches of snow. That puts New York City at 76 of 98 metros on this site, ranked from snowiest down.
About 24 days a year have an inch or more of snow on the ground.
That's close to North Jersey, the nearest metro on our list (31.5 inches).
Westchester County uses the same weather station on this site, so the snow numbers match. The hills don't.
28 of the 28 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 | 0.5 inches | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| December | 4.9 inches | 1.2 | 2.9 |
| January | 8.8 inches | 2.1 | 7.9 |
| February | 10.1 inches | 2.2 | 9.1 |
| March | 5 inches | 1.3 | 4.0 |
| April | 0.4 inches | 0.1 | 0.1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, station USW00094728. "Not stated by source" means NOAA publishes no value for that station.
Lit hills
None of the sources we used for New York City mention lights on a sledding hill. Plan on daylight, and see our national lit hills list if you're travelling.
Local rules
- NYC Parks: sledding is not allowed on golf courses. Source
Short answers
When does it usually start snowing in New York City?
In NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Ny City Cntrl Park 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 York City get in a year?
About 29.8 inches a year at the Ny City Cntrl Park station, per NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals.
Are there lit sledding hills in New York City?
None of the sources we used mention lights. Plan on daylight.
Updated