New York ยท season guide
Sledding season in Rochester
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Rochester Gtr Intl. weather station, about 6 miles from the middle of our Rochester hill list show November as the first month that averages an inch of snow or more (8.1 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 27.4 inches.
Across a normal year the station records about 102 inches of snow. That puts Rochester at 4 of 98 metros on this site, ranked from snowiest down.
Snow doesn't sit around long, though. Only about 72 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, Buffalo, the nearest metro on our list, averages 95.4 inches, less than here.
5 of the 5 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 | 8.1 inches | 2.4 | 4.1 |
| December | 22.3 inches | 6.4 | 14.3 |
| January | 27.4 inches | 8.3 | 20.5 |
| February | 23.1 inches | 7.0 | 19.2 |
| March | 17.9 inches | 4.1 | 12.9 |
| April | 3 inches | 1.0 | 1.3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, station USW00014768. "Not stated by source" means NOAA publishes no value for that station.
Lit hills
None of the sources we used for Rochester mention lights on a sledding hill. Plan on daylight, and see our national lit hills list if you're travelling.
Local rules
- Monroe County Parks allows sledding only on designated hills. Source
Short answers
When does it usually start snowing in Rochester?
In NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Rochester Gtr Intl. 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 Rochester get in a year?
About 102 inches a year at the Rochester Gtr Intl. station, per NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals.
Are there lit sledding hills in Rochester?
None of the sources we used mention lights. Plan on daylight.
Updated