Kingston Snowfall Totals & Accumulation Averages

This page pulls together information on when, how much and how often Kingston, Ontario has snow.

There are data and descriptions here of how many days it snows and the total amount of snowfall that Kingston usually gets. There are also monthly and yearly counts of the days that Kingston normally has heavy snowstorms and deep snow accumulated on the ground. Plus there's information on when the city can expect its first and last snowfalls of the season.

All the numbers are long-term historical averages based on weather data gathered from 1981 to 2010 at the Kingston Airport.

How Often it Snows in Kingston

This first table lists monthly and yearly totals for amount of snow and how many days it snows at least 0.2 centimetres (0.08 inches).

Average total snowfall and days with fresh snow in Kingston
Days   Inches Centi­metres
13.2 January 15.5 39
11.1 February 15.4 39
7.3 March 10.0 25
2.6 April 3.2 8
0.4 October 0.5 1
4.3 November 3.1 8
11.5 December 14.1 36
50.4 Year 61.8 157

When Kingston Has Its First & Last Snowfalls

The first snowfall of winter for Kingston often arrives in November, but can show up as early as October.

The season's last snowfall typically happens in March or April, although a late snow can land in May.

Kingston is normally free of snow every year from June to September.

How Many Snowstorms Kingston Gets

Most days of snowfall in Kingston leave less than five centimetres (2 inches) of fresh snow on the ground. For ten days a year on average, the amount of new snow totals at least five cm.

Big snowstorms of over ten cm a day normally occur three or four times a year. But major blizzards that dump 25 cm or more in one day are rare events that don't happen every year. Storms this severe are most likely to appear in March.

Number of days per month and year on average in Kingston with a total snowfall of at least 5, 10 or 20 centimetres
  5 cm
2.0 inches
10 cm
3.9 inches
25 cm
9.8 inches
January 2.5 0.9 0.0
February 2.3 0.7 0.1
March 1.5 0.6 0.2
April 0.5 0.2 0.0
October 0.1 0.1 0.0
November 0.4 0.1 0.0
December 2.3 0.9 0.1
Year 9.7 3.4 0.4

How Much Snow Normally Accumulates in Kingston

For about 83 days a year, Kingston has at least a centimetre of snow on the ground. In mid-winter the snowpack averages 12 cm deep.

Average total days per month and year in Kingston with snow depth of at least 1, 5, 10 or 20 cm on the ground
1 cm
0.4 inches
5 cm
2.0 inches
  10 cm
3.9 inches
20 cm
7.9 inches
23.6 16.3 January 11.7 3.8
23.6 18.9 February 15.3 7.9
16.3 10.3 March 7.5 4.5
1.8 0.6 April 0.4 0.1
0.1 0.0 October 0.0 0.0
1.9 0.6 November 0.2 0.0
15.7 7.6 December 4.9 2.4
83.1 54.2 Year 39.9 18.7
Reference

Environment Canada. Meteorological Service of Canada. Canadian Climate Normals. 1981-2010 Climate Normals & Averages.

Ontario Snowfall
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