Maine ยท season guide
Sledding season in Portland
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Portland Jetport weather station, about 3 miles from the middle of our Portland hill list show November as the first month that averages an inch of snow or more (2.3 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 18.6 inches.
Across a normal year the station records about 68.7 inches of snow. That puts Portland at 17 of 98 metros on this site, ranked from snowiest down.
Snow doesn't sit around long, though. Only about 74 days a year have an inch or more on the ground, which is low for this much snowfall. Go soon after a storm.
That's close to Manchester, the nearest metro on our list (67.7 inches).
3 of the 5 hills we list here come from a city, county or park district page; sources call Deering Oaks gentle.
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 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| November | 2.3 inches | 0.7 | 1.7 |
| December | 14.6 inches | 3.3 | 10.6 |
| January | 18.6 inches | 4.5 | 23.3 |
| February | 16.6 inches | 4.3 | 20.8 |
| March | 13.6 inches | 2.8 | 15.9 |
| April | 2.8 inches | 0.7 | 1.8 |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, station USW00014764. "Not stated by source" means NOAA publishes no value for that station.
Lit hills
None of the sources we used for Portland 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 Portland in the sources we checked. Individual parks may post their own signs, and those win.
Short answers
When does it usually start snowing in Portland?
In NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Portland Jetport 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 Portland get in a year?
About 68.7 inches a year at the Portland Jetport station, per NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals.
Are there lit sledding hills in Portland?
None of the sources we used mention lights. Plan on daylight.
Updated