Québec City Snowfall Totals & Accumulation Averages
This page pulls together information on when, how much and how often Québec City, Québec has snow.
There are data and descriptions here of how many days it snows and the total amount of snowfall that Québec City usually gets. There are also monthly and yearly counts of the days that Québec City 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 at Québec City's Jean Lesage International Airport.
How Often it Snows in Québec City
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16.3 | January | 28.3 | 72 |
| 13.2 | February | 25.0 | 64 |
| 10.5 | March | 18.3 | 46 |
| 4.3 | April | 5.2 | 13 |
| 0.1 | May | 0.0 | 0 |
| 1.0 | October | 1.3 | 3 |
| 8.1 | November | 12.9 | 33 |
| 16.6 | December | 28.5 | 72 |
| 70.1 | Year | 119.4 | 303 |
When Québec City Has Its First & Last Snowfalls
The first snowfall of winter for Québec City normally arrives in October or November.
The season's last snowfall typically happens in April although in some years a late snow lands in May or even June.
Québec City is normally free of snow every year from July to September.
How Many Snowstorms Québec City Gets
Most days of snowfall in Québec City leave less than five centimetres (2 inches) of fresh snow on the ground. For 21 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 nine times a year. But major blizzards that dump 25 cm or more in one day are rare events that don't happen every year. 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 | 5.1 | 1.8 | 0.1 |
| February | 4.4 | 2.1 | 0.2 |
| March | 3.2 | 1.4 | 0.1 |
| April | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| October | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| November | 2.2 | 0.9 | 0.1 |
| December | 5.1 | 2.1 | 0.2 |
| Year | 21.0 | 8.7 | 0.7 |
How Much Snow Normally Accumulates in Québec City
For about 141 days a year, Québec City has at least a centimetre of snow on the ground. In mid-winter the snowpack averages 53 cm deep.
Generally the snow cover builds in December and remains deep into early April. The snow melts by the end of April.
| 1 cm 0.4 inches |
5 cm 2.0 inches |
10 cm 3.9 inches |
20 cm 7.9 inches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31.0 | 30.9 | January | 30.6 | 28.1 |
| 28.2 | 28.2 | February | 28.2 | 27.9 |
| 30.3 | 30.1 | March | 29.5 | 27.9 |
| 14.3 | 13.1 | April | 11.6 | 9.4 |
| 9.8 | 5.7 | November | 3.7 | 0.9 |
| 27.0 | 25.0 | December | 22.3 | 15.7 |
| 140.6 | 133.0 | Year | 125.9 | 109.9 |
Reference
Environment Canada. Meteorological Service of Canada. Canadian Climate Normals. 1981-2010 Climate Normals & Averages.