Detroit Snowfall Totals & Accumulation Averages

How Often it Snows in Detroit

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 Detroit, 2010 to 2019

Days		Inches	Centi­metres
4.9	January	14.3	36.4
5.1	February	18.4	46.6
1.4	March	5.0	12.7
0.3	April	0.9	2.2
0.0	October	0.0	0.0
0.7	November	2.9	7.3
2.2	December	8.5	21.7
14.6	Year	50.0	127.1

30-year snowfall averages at Detroit, 1991 to 2020

Days		Inches	Centi­metres
10.7	January	14.0	35.6
9.2	February	12.5	31.8
5.3	March	6.2	15.7
1.5	April	1.5	3.8
0.1	May	0.0	0.0
0.2	October	0.0	0.0
2.6	November	1.9	4.8
8.0	December	8.9	22.6
37.6	Year	45.0	114.3

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

In December, for instance, one in four years totals over 12.5 inches of snow. Another 25 percent of years receive less than 3.9 inches for the month.

Similarly in January, fresh snowfall in the heaviest years amounts to over 17.2 inches, while the lightest years get nine inches or less.

Snow in February ranges from over 19.3 inches in heavy snowfall years to under 5.8 inches in light years.

When Detroit Has Its First & Last Snowfalls

Detroit's first snowfall of winter usually arrives in November. In rare years October also receives a light snowfall.

The season's last snowfall typically happens in April, although at least one in four Aprils receive no fresh snow.

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

How Many Snowstorms Detroit Gets

Most days of snowfall in Detroit result in just a skiff of less than an inch of fresh snow left on the ground. For 14 days a year on average, the amount of new snow totals at least an inch.

Snowstorms of over five inches a day usually occur once or twice a year. But major blizzards that dump ten inches or more in one day are rare events that don't happen every year. Storms this severe normally show up only in January.

Number of days per month and year on average in Detroit 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
4.3	1.3	January	0.5	0.2
3.6	1.4	February	0.4	0.0
1.9	0.6	March	0.3	0.0
0.5	0.2	April	0.0	0.0
0.6	0.1	November	0.1	0.0
2.7	0.7	December	0.4	0.0
13.6	4.3	Year	1.7	0.2

How Much Snow Normally Accumulates in Detroit

For just under half of winter days, Detroit has at least an inch of snow on the ground.

Snow mostly accumulates during January and February. The city averages five days annually when the snowpack depth tops ten inches, but most years it's no deeper than 20 inches.

Average total days per month and year in Detroit 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
17.2	11.3	January	6.3	1.7
13.7	8.9	February	5.2	2.5
6.2	3.4	March	2.1	0.7
0.5	0.2	April	0.1	0.0
1.5	0.5	November	0.2	0.0
8.1	5.2	December	3.9	0.3
47.2	29.5	Year	17.8	5.2