Kitchener & Waterloo Snowfall Totals & Accumulation Averages
This page pulls together information on when, how much and how often Kitchener and Waterloo, Ontario have snow.
There are data and descriptions here of how many days it snows and the total amount of snowfall that Kitchener and Waterloo usually get. There are also monthly and yearly counts of the days that Kitchener-Waterloo region normally has heavy snowstorms and deep snow accumulated on the ground. Plus there's information on when the cities can expect their 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 the Region of Waterloo International Airport.
How Often it Snows in Kitchener – Waterloo
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16.1 | January | 17.2 | 44 |
| 11.9 | February | 11.9 | 30 |
| 9.0 | March | 10.4 | 27 |
| 3.3 | April | 2.9 | 7 |
| 0.2 | May | 0.1 | 0 |
| 0.9 | October | 0.5 | 1 |
| 6.5 | November | 5.1 | 13 |
| 14.4 | December | 14.7 | 37 |
| 62.2 | Year | 62.9 | 160 |
When Kitchener – Waterloo Has Its First & Last Snowfalls
The first snowfall of winter for the Kitchener – Waterloo area often arrives in November, but can show up as early as October.
The season's last snowfall typically happens in March or April, although a late snow can land in May.
Kitchener is normally free of snow every year from June to September.
How Many Snowstorms Kitchener – Waterloo Gets
Most days of snowfall in Kitchener – Waterloo leave less than five centimetres (2 inches) of fresh snow on the ground. For ten 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 two or three times a year. But major blizzards that dump 25 cm or more in one day are not at all expected here.
| 5 cm 2.0 inches |
10 cm 3.9 inches |
25 cm 9.8 inches | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2.5 | 0.6 | 0.0 |
| February | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| March | 1.9 | 0.6 | 0.0 |
| April | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| May | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| October | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| November | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| December | 2.3 | 0.6 | 0.0 |
| Year | 9.6 | 2.5 | 0.0 |
How Much Snow Normally Accumulates in Kitchener – Waterloo
For about 95 days, or one-quarter of the year, the Kitchener – Waterloo region has at least a centimetre of snow on the ground. In mid-winter the snowpack averages 12 cm deep.
| 1 cm 0.4 inches |
5 cm 2.0 inches |
10 cm 3.9 inches |
20 cm 7.9 inches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26.9 | 20.6 | January | 13.7 | 6.8 |
| 24.3 | 17.5 | February | 11.2 | 5.1 |
| 17.2 | 9.7 | March | 6.5 | 1.5 |
| 1.7 | 0.4 | April | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| 0.0 | 0.0 | May | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 0.2 | 0.0 | October | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 5.6 | 1.1 | November | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| 19.4 | 10.5 | December | 4.5 | 1.4 |
| 95.3 | 59.8 | Year | 36.2 | 14.7 |
Reference
Environment Canada. Meteorological Service of Canada. Canadian Climate Normals. 1981-2010 Climate Normals & Averages.