Syracuse Snowfall Totals & Accumulation Averages
This page pulls together information on when, how much and how often Syracuse, New York has snow.
There are data and descriptions here of how many days it snows and the total amount of snowfall that Syracuse usually gets. There are also monthly and yearly counts of the days that the city normally has heavy snowstorms and deep snow accumulated on the ground. Plus there's information on when Syracuse 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 1981 to 2010 at Syracuse Hancock International Airport.
How Often it Snows in Syracuse
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).
Days | Inches | Centimetres | |
---|---|---|---|
8.3 | January | 29.4 | 74.6 |
9.6 | February | 33.9 | 86.2 |
4.3 | March | 17.5 | 44.4 |
0.4 | April | 2.7 | 6.8 |
0.0 | May | 0.0 | 0.1 |
0.0 | October | 0.1 | 0.2 |
2.2 | November | 9.0 | 22.8 |
7.0 | December | 27.0 | 68.7 |
31.8 | Year | 119.6 | 303.8 |
Days | Inches | Centimetres | |
---|---|---|---|
18.4 | January | 34.0 | 86.4 |
14.4 | February | 25.3 | 64.3 |
9.9 | March | 18.0 | 45.7 |
2.6 | April | 3.8 | 9.7 |
0.1 | May | 0.1 | 0.3 |
0.5 | October | 0.4 | 1.0 |
5.8 | November | 9.5 | 24.1 |
14.7 | December | 32.7 | 83.1 |
66.4 | Year | 123.8 | 314.5 |
These averages don't show how much Syracuse's snowfall varies from year to year.
In December, for instance, one in four years totals over four feet of snow. Another 25 percent of years receive less than 17.5 inches for the month.
Similarly in January, fresh snowfall in the heaviest years amounts to over 44.5 inches, while the lightest years get less than 21.3 inches.
Snow in February ranges from over 32.7 inches in heavy snowfall years to under 15.9 inches in light years.
When Syracuse Has Its First & Last Snowfalls
Syracuse's first snowfall of winter arrives by November. Although in many years October gets at least a dusting of snow.
The season's last snowfall typically happens in April, yet snow in May does happen occasionally.
Syracuse is normally free of snow every year from June to September.
How Many Snowstorms Syracuse Gets
About half the days with snowfall in Syracuse result in just a skiff, amounting to less than an inch left on the ground. For 35 days a year on average, the amount of new snow totals at least an inch.
Snowstorms of over five inches a day normally occur five or six times a year. But major blizzards that dump ten inches or more in one day happen on average just one day a year.
1 inch 2.5 cm |
3 inches 7.6 cm |
5 inches 12.7 cm |
10 inches 25.4 cm | |
---|---|---|---|---|
9.9 | 4.1 | January | 1.6 | 0.3 |
7.4 | 2.9 | February | 1.1 | 0.2 |
4.8 | 1.9 | March | 0.8 | 0.1 |
1.5 | 0.3 | April | 0.1 | 0.0 |
0.1 | 0.0 | October | 0.0 | 0.0 |
2.7 | 0.9 | November | 0.4 | 0.1 |
8.1 | 3.3 | December | 1.8 | 0.4 |
34.5 | 13.4 | Year | 5.8 | 1.1 |
How Much Snow Normally Accumulates in Syracuse
For about two-thirds of winter days, Syracuse has at least an inch of snow on the ground.
Snow mostly accumulates during January amd February. Typically, on five days in each of January and February plus another two or three in December and March, the snow covering Syracuse gets to ten or more inches deep.
1 inch 2.5 cm |
3 inches 7.6 cm |
5 inches 12.7 cm |
10 inches 25.4 cm | |
---|---|---|---|---|
23.2 | 17.9 | January | 12.8 | 5.7 |
20.8 | 15.3 | February | 11.5 | 4.8 |
12.5 | 8.1 | March | 5.9 | 2.6 |
1.4 | 0.4 | April | 0.1 | 0.0 |
4.0 | 1.9 | November | 0.8 | 0.0 |
16.3 | 10.5 | December | 7.1 | 2.3 |
78.2 | 54.1 | Year | 38.2 | 15.4 |
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. 1981-2010 U.S. Climate Normals. (Data Access. FTP.)