Indiana ยท season guide
Sledding season in South Bend
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the S Bend Airport weather station, about 13 miles from the middle of our South Bend hill list show November as the first month that averages an inch of snow or more (5.1 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 21.6 inches.
Across a normal year the station records about 64.5 inches of snow. That puts South Bend at 22 of 98 metros on this site, ranked from snowiest down.
Snow doesn't sit around long, though. Only about 52 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, Kalamazoo, the nearest metro on our list, averages 77.6 inches, more than here.
2 of the 2 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 | 0.1 |
| November | 5.1 inches | 1.7 | 2.8 |
| December | 13.7 inches | 4.5 | 10.4 |
| January | 21.6 inches | 6.6 | 19.6 |
| February | 16.1 inches | 5.2 | 13.8 |
| March | 6.8 inches | 2.0 | 4.9 |
| April | 1 inch | 0.3 | 0.3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, station USW00014848. "Not stated by source" means NOAA publishes no value for that station.
Lit hills
None of the sources we used for South Bend 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 South Bend in the sources we checked. Individual parks may post their own signs, and those win.
Short answers
When does it usually start snowing in South Bend?
In NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the S Bend Airport 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 South Bend get in a year?
About 64.5 inches a year at the S Bend Airport station, per NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals.
Are there lit sledding hills in South Bend?
None of the sources we used mention lights. Plan on daylight.
Updated