Holland Snowfall Totals & Snowstorm Averages

This page pulls together information on when, how much and how often Holland, Michigan has snow.

There are data and descriptions of how many days it snows and the total amount of snowfall that Holland usually gets. There are also monthly and yearly counts of the days that the city normally has heavy snowstorms. Plus there's information on when Holland can expect the first and last snowfalls of winter.

All the numbers are averages, based on weather data gathered from 1981 to 2010 in Holland near the shore of Lake Michigan.

How Often it Snows in Holland

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).

Average total snowfall and days with fresh snow in Holland
Days   Inches Centi­metres
10.5 January 25.0 63.5
6.8 February 15.7 39.9
3.1 March 4.5 11.4
0.5 April 0.4 1.0
0.2 October 0.4 1.0
2.0 November 2.3 5.8
8.7 December 21.6 54.9
31.8 Year 69.9 177.5

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

In December, for instance, one in four years totals 33 inches or more of snow. Another 25 percent of years receive less than 9.5 inches for the month.

Similarly in January, fresh snowfall in the heaviest years amounts to over 31.4 inches, while the lightest years get less than 14.5 inches.

New snow for February ranges from over 26.4 inches in heavy snowfall years to under 4.4 inches in light years.

When Holland Has Its First & Last Snowfalls

The first snowfall of winter for Holland often arrives in November. About once every five years, October gets snow.

The season's last snowfall typically happens in March, but can show up as late as April.

Holland is normally free of snow every year from May to September.

How Many Snowstorms Holland Gets

Most days of snowfall in Holland result in at least an inch left on the ground. For eight days a year on average, the amount of new snow totals three inches or more.

Snowstorms of over five inches a day normally occur three times a year. But major blizzards that dump ten inches or more in one day are rare events that usually happen just twice a decade.

Number of days per month and year on average in Holland 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
7.6 2.6 January 0.9 0.1
5.0 1.8 February 0.7 0.0
2.0 0.6 March 0.3 0.0
0.2 0.0 April 0.0 0.0
0.1 0.0 October 0.0 0.0
1.5 0.3 November 0.1 0.0
6.5 2.5 December 1.2 0.1
22.9 7.8 Year 3.2 0.2
Reference

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. 1981-2010 U.S. Climate Normals. (Data Access. FTP.)

Michigan Snowfall
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