Philadelphia Snowfall Totals & Accumulation Averages

How Often it Snows in Philadelphia

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 Philadelphia, 2010 to 2019

Days		Inches	Centi­metres
2.2	January	10.1	25.6
2.3	February	10.8	27.4
1.3	March	4.9	12.4
0.0	April	0.0	0.1
0.1	November	0.4	0.9
0.6	December	3.4	8.6
6.5	Year	29.6	75.1

30-year snowfall averages at Philadelphia, 1991 to 2020

Days		Inches	Centi­metres
4.1	January	7.1	18.0
3.8	February	8.4	21.3
2.0	March	3.6	9.1
0.2	April	0.3	0.8
0.1	November	0.2	0.5
1.8	December	3.5	8.9
12.0	Year	23.1	58.7

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

In December, for instance, one in four years totals over seven 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 6.5 inches, while the lightest 25 percent of years get less than 1.8 inches.

Snow in February ranges from over 10.8 inches in heavy snowfall years 1.3 inches or less in light years.

When Philadelphia Has Its First & Last Snowfalls

Philadelphia's first snowfall of winter usually arrives 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.

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

How Many Snowstorms Philadelphia Gets

Just over half the days of snowfall in Philadelphia result in a skiff of less than an inch left on the ground. For five days a year on average, the amount of new snow totals at least an inch.

Snowstorms of over five inches a day happen on average about once a year. They can show up any time here from December to March.

Major blizzards that dump ten inches or more in one day do descend on Philadelphia, but not every year. Snowstorms this severe have appeared in the months of December, January and February.

Number of days per month and year on average in Philadelphia 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
1.5	0.6	January	0.3	0.2
1.9	0.9	February	0.4	0.1
0.9	0.5	March	0.2	0.0
0.1	0.0	April	0.0	0.0
0.1	0.0	November	0.0	0.0
0.7	0.3	December	0.2	0.1
5.2	2.3	Year	1.1	0.4

How Much Snow Normally Accumulates in Philadelphia

For a small portion of winter days, Philadelphia has at least an inch of snow on the ground.

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

Average total days per month and year in Philadelphia 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
5.1	2.6	January	1.7	0.8
5.9	3.7	February	1.9	0.6
1.9	0.8	March	0.3	0.1
0.1	0.0	April	0.0	0.0
0.0	0.0	November	0.0	0.0
2.5	1.0	December	0.4	0.2
15.5	8.1	Year	4.3	1.7