Pennsylvania ยท season guide
Sledding season in Pittsburgh
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Pittsburgh Asos weather station, about 14 miles from the middle of our Pittsburgh hill list show November as the first month that averages an inch of snow or more (2.4 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 13.3 inches.
Across a normal year the station records about 44.1 inches of snow. That puts Pittsburgh at 55 of 98 metros on this site, ranked from snowiest down.
Snow doesn't sit around long, though. Only about 40 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, Morgantown, the nearest metro on our list, averages 68.9 inches, more than here.
1 of the 7 hills we list here come from a city, county or park district page; Observatory Hill, Riverview 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 | 0.4 inches | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| November | 2.4 inches | 0.7 | 1.4 |
| December | 7.7 inches | 2.8 | 7.7 |
| January | 13.3 inches | 4.4 | 14.0 |
| February | 11.7 inches | 3.9 | 11.4 |
| March | 7.6 inches | 2.3 | 5.1 |
| April | 1 inch | 0.3 | 0.3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, station USW00094823. "Not stated by source" means NOAA publishes no value for that station.
Lit hills
None of the sources we used for Pittsburgh 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 Pittsburgh in the sources we checked. Individual parks may post their own signs, and those win.
Short answers
When does it usually start snowing in Pittsburgh?
In NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Pittsburgh Asos 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 Pittsburgh get in a year?
About 44.1 inches a year at the Pittsburgh Asos station, per NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals.
Are there lit sledding hills in Pittsburgh?
None of the sources we used mention lights. Plan on daylight.
Updated