Lancaster Snowfall Totals & Accumulation Averages

This page pulls together information on when, how much and how often Lancaster, Pennsylvania has snow.

There are data and descriptions here of how many days it snows and the total amount of snowfall that Lancaster 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 Lancaster 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 near downtown Lancaster.

How Often it Snows in Lancaster

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 Lancaster, 2010 to 2019
Days   Inches Centi­metres
2.4 January 8.4 21.4
2.4 February 11.8 29.9
1.4 March 5.3 13.4
0.2 April 0.3 0.8
0.1 October 0.9 2.3
0.4 November 1.1 2.8
1.0 December 3.4 8.6
8.2 Year 29.6 75.1
30-year snowfall averages at Lancaster, 1991 to 2020
Days   Inches Centi­metres
2.7 January 6.1 15.5
2.7 February 7.4 18.8
1.2 March 3.4 8.6
0.1 April 0.2 0.5
0.0 October 0.3 0.8
0.3 November 0.6 1.5
1.1 December 3.4 8.6
8.1 Year 21.4 54.4

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

In December, for instance, one in four years totals over 5.7 inches of snow. Another 25 percent of years receive no snow for the month.

Similarly in January, fresh snowfall in the heaviest years amounts to over 9.7 inches, while the lightest years get an inch or less.

Snow in February ranges from over 10.2 inches in heavy snowfall years to under one inch in light years.

When Lancaster Has Its First & Last Snowfalls

Lancaster usually sees its first snowfall of winter in December. But it can start snowing as early as November or as late as January.

The season's last snowfall can happen anytime from February to April.

Lancaster is normally free of snow every year from May to October.

How Many Snowstorms Lancaster Gets

Although it doesn't often snow in Lancaster, a snowfall usually results in at least an inch of snow left on the ground. For two days a year on average, the amount of new snow totals at least three inches.

Snowstorms of over five inches a day normally occur once a year. But major blizzards that dump ten inches or more in one day are rare events that happen just twice a decade.

Number of days per month and year on average in Lancaster 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
1.8 0.6 January 0.3 0.1
1.7 1.0 February 0.5 0.1
0.9 0.3 March 0.2 0.0
0.1 0.0 April 0.0 0.0
0.2 0.0 November 0.0 0.0
0.9 0.3 December 0.1 0.0
5.3 2.2 Year 1.0 0.2

How Much Snow Normally Accumulates in Lancaster

For less than one-fifth of winter days, Lancaster has at least an inch of snow on the ground.

Typically, on nine days a year, the snow covering Lancaster gets to five or more inches deep. For two or three of those days, the snowpack builds up to over ten inches.

Average total days per month and year in Lancaster 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
6.8 3.1 January 2.2 0.5
9.2 6.5 February 4.7 1.5
3.4 2.0 March 0.8 0.2
0.2 0.0 November 0.0 0.0
2.4 1.7 December 1.1 0.1
22.0 13.3 Year 8.8 2.3
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.

Pennsylvania Snowfall
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