Peterborough Snowfall Totals & Accumulation Averages
This page pulls together information on when, how much and how often Peterborough, Ontario has snow.
There are data and descriptions here of how many days it snows and the total amount of snowfall that Peterborough usually gets. There are also monthly and yearly counts of the days that Peterborough normally has heavy snowstorms and deep snow accumulated on the ground. Plus there's information on when the city can expect its first and last snowfalls of the season.
All the numbers are long-term historical averages based on weather data gathered from 1981 to 2010 in Peterborough.
How Often it Snows in Peterborough
This first table lists monthly and yearly totals for amount of snow and how many days it snows at least 0.2 centimetres (0.08 inches).
| Days | Inches | Centimetres | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10.3 | January | 14.6 | 37 |
| 6.6 | February | 12.9 | 33 |
| 4.4 | March | 7.7 | 19 |
| 1.4 | April | 1.3 | 3 |
| 0.3 | October | 0.5 | 1 |
| 2.7 | November | 3.3 | 8 |
| 8.2 | December | 14.0 | 36 |
| 33.9 | Year | 54.3 | 138 |
When Peterborough Has Its First & Last Snowfalls
The first snowfall of winter for Peterborough usually arrives in November, but can show up as early as October.
The season's last snowfall typically happens in March or April although in some years a late snow lands in May.
Peterborough is normally free of snow every year from June to September.
How Many Snowstorms Peterborough Gets
Most days of snowfall in Peterborough leave less than five centimetres (2 inches) of fresh snow on the ground. For nine days a year on average, the amount of new snow totals at least five cm.
Big snowstorms of over ten cm a day normally occur three or four times a year. But major blizzards that dump 25 cm or more in one day are rare events that only happen twice a decade. Storms this severe are most likely to appear in December or February.
| 5 cm 2.0 inches |
10 cm 3.9 inches |
25 cm 9.8 inches | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2.4 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| February | 2.3 | 1.3 | 0.1 |
| March | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.0 |
| April | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| October | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| November | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| December | 2.7 | 0.9 | 0.1 |
| Year | 9.4 | 3.8 | 0.2 |
How Much Snow Normally Accumulates in Peterborough
For about 109 days a year, Peterborough has at least a centimetre of snow on the ground. In mid-winter the snowpack averages around 19 cm deep.
| 1 cm 0.4 inches |
5 cm 2.0 inches |
10 cm 3.9 inches |
20 cm 7.9 inches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29.6 | 28.1 | January | 23.2 | 14.3 |
| 26.1 | 23.7 | February | 18.6 | 10.2 |
| 21.6 | 17.8 | March | 13.9 | 6.4 |
| 2.1 | 1.4 | April | 0.6 | 0.0 |
| 0.2 | 0.1 | October | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 5.1 | 3.3 | November | 1.4 | 0.3 |
| 24.6 | 17.4 | December | 11.6 | 5.6 |
| 109.3 | 91.8 | Year | 69.3 | 36.8 |
Reference
Environment Canada. Meteorological Service of Canada. Canadian Climate Normals. 1981-2010 Climate Normals & Averages.