Madison Snowfall Totals & Accumulation Averages

How Often it Snows in Madison

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 Madison, 2010 to 2019

Days		Inches	Centi­metres
3.5	January	12.0	30.4
4.5	February	13.6	34.5
1.9	March	6.1	15.5
0.9	April	2.5	6.3
0.0	May	0.0	0.0
0.4	October	0.8	2.1
1.1	November	2.9	7.3
2.9	December	11.2	28.4
15.2	Year	49.1	124.6

30-year snowfall averages at Madison, 1991 to 2020

Days		Inches	Centi­metres
10.1	January	13.7	34.8
8.6	February	12.8	32.5
5.3	March	7.0	17.8
1.9	April	2.6	6.6
0.1	May	0.1	0.3
0.5	October	0.6	1.5
3.2	November	3.0	7.6
8.2	December	12.0	30.5
37.9	Year	51.8	131.6

These averages don't show how much the snowfall in Madison varies from year to year.

In December, for instance, one in four years totals over 20.8 inches of snow. Another 25 percent of years receive less than 2.6 inches for the month.

Similarly in January, fresh snowfall in the heaviest years amounts to over 19 inches, while the lightest years get under nine inches.

New snow for February ranges from over 14.4 inches in heavy snowfall years to 7.5 inches or less in light years.

When Madison Has Its First & Last Snowfalls

The first snowfall of winter for Madison usually arrives in November. But at least one in four years also see snow in October.

The season's last snowfall typically happens in April, although fresh snow in May is not unheard of, and some Aprils never see snow.

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

How Many Snowstorms Madison Gets

Most days of snowfall in Madison leave just a skiff, amounting to less than an inch, of fresh snow on the ground. For 15 days a year on average, the amount of new snow totals at least an inch.

Snowstorms of over five inches a day normally occur a couple times a year. But major blizzards that dump ten inches or more in one day are rare events that don't show up every year.

Number of days per month and year on average in Madison 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
3.9	1.3	January	0.6	0.1
3.7	1.3	February	0.5	0.1
2.1	0.7	March	0.3	0.0
0.8	0.2	April	0.1	0.0
0.0	0.0	May	0.0	0.0
0.2	0.1	October	0.0	0.0
1.0	0.1	November	0.1	0.0
3.2	1.4	December	0.5	0.1
14.9	5.1	Year	2.1	0.3

How Much Snow Normally Accumulates in Madison

For about half of winter days, Madison has at least three inches of snow on the ground.

Snow mostly accumulates during January and February. Typically, on three days in January and in February, the snow covering Madison gets to ten or more inches deep.

Average total days per month and year in Madison 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
24.2	16.4	January	11.8	3.1
22.4	16.8	February	11.8	3.2
10.1	6.4	March	4.2	0.4
1.3	0.4	April	0.2	0.0
0.0	0.0	May	0.0	0.0
0.2	0.1	October	0.0	0.0
3.3	0.8	November	0.2	0.0
16.0	9.7	December	6.3	1.5
77.5	50.6	Year	34.5	8.2