New Jersey ยท season guide
Sledding season in North Jersey
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Newark Liberty Intl. Airport weather station, about 9 miles from the middle of our North Jersey hill list show December as the first month that averages an inch of snow or more (5.4 inches). The normals are monthly averages, so they can't give a first-snow date. Some years come early, some late.
Unusually, March (5.6 inches) averages more snow than December (5.4 inches), so the season runs late.
Across a normal year the station records about 31.5 inches of snow. That puts North Jersey at 74 of 98 metros on this site, ranked from snowiest down.
About 22 days a year have an inch or more of snow on the ground.
That's close to New York City, the nearest metro on our list (29.8 inches).
1 of the 13 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 | 0.2 inches | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| November | 0.6 inches | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| December | 5.4 inches | 1.2 | 3.1 |
| January | 9.1 inches | 2.1 | 7.5 |
| February | 10.1 inches | 2.0 | 7.5 |
| March | 5.6 inches | 1.6 | 3.1 |
| April | 0.5 inches | 0.1 | 0.1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, station USW00014734. "Not stated by source" means NOAA publishes no value for that station.
Lit hills
1 hill on our North Jersey list has lights according to the cited source. Light schedules change, so check the source page before a night trip.
Local rules
We didn't find a city-wide sledding rule for North Jersey 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 North Jersey?
In NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Newark Liberty 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 North Jersey get in a year?
About 31.5 inches a year at the Newark Liberty Intl. Airport station, per NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals.
Are there lit sledding hills in North Jersey?
Yes. 1 hill on our list has lights per the cited source: Pulaski Park.
Updated