Springfield Snowfall Totals & Accumulation Averages

This page pulls together information on when, how much and how often Springfield, Illinois has snow.

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

The first set of monthly snow totals are averages for 2010 to 2019. All the other numbers are averages, based on climate data gathered from 1991 to 2020 at Springfield's Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport.

How Often it Snows in Springfield

The next two tables list monthly and yearly totals for amount of snow and how many days it snows at least 0.1 inches (0.25 centimetres).

10-year snowfall averages at Springfield, 2010 to 2019
Days   Inches Centi­metres
1.7 January 6.3 16.1
2.6 February 8.9 22.6
0.8 March 3.9 9.8
0.2 April 0.6 1.4
0.1 October 0.2 0.6
0.7 November 2.1 5.3
1.2 December 3.6 9.1
7.3 Year 25.6 65.0
30-year snowfall averages at Springfield, 1991 to 2020
Days   Inches Centi­metres
5.2 January 6.7 17.0
4.2 February 6.1 15.5
1.9 March 3.1 7.9
0.3 April 0.3 0.8
0.1 October 0.1 0.3
1.0 November 1.2 3.0
3.6 December 4.3 10.9
16.3 Year 21.8 55.4

These averages don't show how much Springfield's snowfall varies from year to year.

In December, for instance, one in four years totals over 5.9 inches of snow. Another 25 percent of years receive less than 1.8 inches for the month.

Similarly in January, fresh snowfall in the heaviest years amounts to over 8.2 inches, while the lightest years get less than 3.6 inches.

Snow in February ranges from over 10.4 inches in heavy snowfall years to an inch or less in light years.

When Springfield Has Its First & Last Snowfalls

Springfield's first snowfall of winter usually arrives in November. But at least one in four years don't see snow until December. The season's last snowfall typically happens in March, although snow in April is possible

Springfield is normally free of snow every year from May to September.

How Many Snowstorms Springfield Gets

Most days of snowfall in Springfield result in just a skiff of less than an inch left on the ground. On an average of six days a year, at least an inch of snow lands in one day.

Snowstorms of over five inches a day typically occur once a year. But major blizzards that dump ten inches or more in one day are not at all normal winter weather for Springfield.

Number of days per month and year on average in Springfield with a total snowfall of at least 1, 3, 5 or 10 inches
1 inch
2.5 cm
3 inches
7.6 cm
  5 inches
12.7 cm
10 inches
25.4 cm
2.1 0.7 January 0.3 0.0
1.7 0.7 February 0.3 0.0
0.7 0.3 March 0.2 0.0
0.1 0.0 April 0.0 0.0
0.4 0.1 November 0.1 0.0
1.2 0.4 December 0.1 0.0
6.2 2.2 Year 1.0 0.0

How Much Snow Normally Accumulates in Springfield

For about a quarter of winter days, Springfield has at least an inch of snow on the ground.

Typically, on five winter days the snow covering Springfield gets to five or more inches deep. The snowpack can build up to over ten inches, but that doesn't happen every year.

Average total days per month and year in Springfield with snow depth of at least 1, 3, 5 or 10 inches on the ground
1 inch
2.5 cm
3 inches
7.6 cm
  5 inches
12.7 cm
10 inches
25.4 cm
10.6 4.7 January 1.9 0.3
7.2 3.5 February 2.1 0.4
2.0 1.0 March 0.4 0.1
0.1 0.0 April 0.0 0.0
0.9 0.2 November 0.0 0.0
6.0 2.0 December 1.0 0.0
26.8 11.4 Year 5.4 0.8
References

Jay Lawrimore, Ron Ray, Scott Applequist, Bryant Korzeniewski, Matthew Menne. 2016. Global Summary of the Month and Year, Version 1.0. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). Climate Normals.

Illinois Snowfall
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