Grand Canyon Snowfall Totals & Accumulation Averages
This page pulls together information on when, how much and how often Grand Canyon Village, Arizona has snow.
There are data and descriptions here of how many days it snows and the total amount of snowfall that Grand Canyon Village usually gets. There are also monthly and yearly counts of the days that the Village normally has heavy snowstorms and deep snow accumulated on the ground. Plus there's information on when Grand Canyon Village can expect the first and last snowfalls of the season.
All the numbers are 30-year averages, based mainly on weather data gathered from 1991 to 2020 at Grand Canyon Village, located in Grand Canyon National Park on the Canyon's south rim. Snow depth data are for 1981 to 2010.
How Often it Snows in Grand Canyon Village
This first table lists 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | January | 12.9 | 32.8 |
| 3.3 | February | 7.8 | 19.8 |
| 2.9 | March | 8.1 | 20.6 |
| 1.2 | April | 2.8 | 7.1 |
| 0.1 | May | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| 0.7 | October | 1.1 | 2.8 |
| 1.3 | November | 2.2 | 5.6 |
| 3.5 | December | 8.0 | 20.3 |
| 17.0 | Year | 43.0 | 109.2 |
These averages don't show how much the snowfall in Grand Canyon Village varies from year to year.
In December, for instance, one in four years totals over 9.4 inches of snow. Another 25 percent of years receive two inches or less for the month.
Similarly in January, fresh snowfall in the heaviest years amounts to over 15.6 inches, while the lightest years get less than five inches.
New snow for February ranges from over 13.2 inches in heavy snowfall years to under an inch in light years.
When Grand Canyon Village Has Its First & Last Snowfalls
The first snowfall of winter for Grand Canyon Village usually arrives in November, but can land as early as October. Once every three or four years, the Village has no snow for November.
The season's last snowfall can happen anytime from March to May. About one in four Aprils get no snow. On rare occasions, some new snow does show up in May.
The Village is normally free of snow every year from June to September.
How Many Snowstorms Grand Canyon Village Gets
Most days of snowfall in Grand Canyon Village leave at least an inch of fresh snow on the ground. For six days a year on average, the amount of new snow totals three inches or more.
Snowstorms of over five inches a day normally occur two or three times a year. But major blizzards that dump ten inches or more in one day are rare events that don't happen every year.
| 1 inch 2.5 cm |
3 inches 7.6 cm |
5 inches 12.7 cm |
10 inches 25.4 cm | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.4 | 1.4 | January | 0.7 | 0.2 |
| 2.5 | 1.1 | February | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| 2.5 | 1.3 | March | 0.6 | 0.1 |
| 1.1 | 0.4 | April | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| 0.1 | 0.0 | May | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 0.5 | 0.3 | October | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| 1.1 | 0.4 | November | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| 2.4 | 0.9 | December | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| 13.6 | 5.8 | Year | 2.4 | 0.3 |
How Much Snow Normally Accumulates in Grand Canyon Village
For about one-third of winter days, the Village has at least an inch of snow on the ground.
Snow mostly accumulates during January and February. Typically, on one or two days in January and in February, the snow covering Grand Canyon Village 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14.7 | 9.6 | January | 5.1 | 1.1 |
| 10.8 | 6.4 | February | 3.7 | 1.4 |
| 5.3 | 2.8 | March | 1.4 | 0.1 |
| 1.1 | 0.5 | April | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 0.1 | 0.0 | May | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 0.5 | 0.2 | October | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| 3.0 | 1.3 | November | 0.4 | 0.2 |
| 8.1 | 4.3 | December | 1.8 | 0.1 |
| 43.6 | 25.1 | Year | 12.5 | 2.9 |
Reference
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). Climate Normals.