Madison Snowfall Totals by Year, 1884 to 2025 (Free Data)

Every Season

Total snowfall by season (July to June), Madison Area record

Download the data (CSV) · 142 rows · checked 2026-10-10

What We Found

51.8"Normal snowfall a season, 1991-2020
101.4"Snowiest season, 2007-08
4.0"Least snow, 1901-02
17.3"Most in one day, Dec 3, 1990

The normal is 51.8 inches. That's the official 1991-2020 average for Madison.(NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan) Our own average of the same 30 seasons from the daily data is 51.6 inches; NOAA computes normals with its own quality control, so the two differ slightly.(NOAA ACIS)
Recent decades are snowier than the early record. Seasons in the 1990s through the 2010s averaged 53.2, 51.6 and 50.0 inches. From the 1890s through the 1960s, no decade averaged more than 41.4.
2007-08 stands alone. At 101.4 inches it beat the next-snowiest season, 1978-79, by 25.3 inches.
Swings are big from one winter to the next. The record's smallest total is 4.0 inches in 1901-02, as recorded. 2024-25 brought just 22.1 inches, among the 10 least snowy on record, two winters after 71.8 inches in 2022-23.
Last winter, 2025-26, brought 50.6 inches. Its biggest day was Nov 29, 2025, with 9.3 inches.

The Last 10 Winters

Season	Total (in)	vs. 51.8" normal	Biggest day (in)	Date
2025-26	50.6	-1.2	9.3	Nov 29, 2025
2024-25	22.1	-29.7	4.8	Dec 19, 2024
2023-24	43.3	-8.5	8.6	Jan 12, 2024
2022-23	71.8	20.0	12.1	March 25, 2023
2021-22	31.3	-20.5	4.2	March 7, 2022
2020-21	45.3	-6.5	4.8	Jan 26, 2021
2019-20	53.7	1.9	6.0	Feb 9, 2020
2018-19	57.2	5.4	8.3	Feb 12, 2019
2017-18	44.4	-7.4	7.2	April 18, 2018
2016-17	44.0	-7.8	5.7	Dec 4, 2016

Snowiest and Least Snowy Seasons

Rank	Snowiest	Inches	Least snowy	Inches
1	2007-08	101.4	1901-02	4.0
2	1978-79	76.1	1967-68	12.7
3	1885-86	75.9	1913-14	17.1
4	1993-94	73.7	1933-34	17.6
5	2010-11	73.1	1931-32	18.2
6	1985-86	72.4	1894-95	19.6
7	2008-09	72.0	1902-03	20.5
8	2022-23	71.8	1953-54	20.6
9	1992-93	71.2	1957-58	21.9
10	1909-10	70.9	2024-25	22.1

The biggest single days: Dec 3, 1990 (17.3"), Dec 20, 2012 (13.3"), Dec 15, 1987 (13.2"), April 9, 1973 (12.9"), Dec 10, 1970 (12.7").

Average Snowfall by Decade

1890s35.2"
1900s34.0"
1910s35.9"
1920s41.4"
1930s32.5"
1940s39.0"
1950s40.6"
1960s33.8"
1970s48.6"
1980s45.4"
1990s53.2"
2000s51.6"
2010s50.0"
2020s*44.1"

* The 2020s so far, 6 seasons.

What It Means for a House

Roofs. Snow that melts and refreezes at the eaves is how ice dams form. Our ice dam guide covers prevention and what insurance covers.
Sidewalks. In Madison, sidewalks must be shoveled by noon the day after the snow stops.(City of Madison) Madison city services covers snow emergencies and pickup.
Heavy winters. ReadyWisconsin advises clearing accumulated roof snow to avoid a collapse.(ReadyWisconsin) The Wisconsin insurance commissioner's guide lists the weight of ice, snow or sleet among the perils an HO-2 policy covers.(OCI)
Frozen ground. See Madison frost dates for when the first freeze usually arrives and how deep footings must go.

All Seasons

Tap a heading to sort. Seasons run July 1 to June 30.

Season	Total (in)	Biggest day (in)	First snow 0.1"+	Last snow 0.1"+	Days 1"+
1884-85	43.4	5.0	Nov 1	April 14	13
1885-86	75.9	11.0	Dec 4	March 31	22
1886-87	60.5	8.0	Nov 17	March 27	23
1887-88	48.2	10.0	Oct 22	April 30	14
1888-89	26.3	7.5	Dec 26	March 29	8
1889-90	38.2	7.1	Nov 14	March 29	14
1890-91	44.3	5.3	Nov 3	April 3	15
1891-92	42.5	6.2	Nov 11	April 14	14
1892-93	43.3	6.4	Nov 7	April 22	16
1893-94	23.5	3.5	Nov 21	April 10	9
1894-95	19.6	2.8	Nov 7	May 15	7
1895-96	25.4	4.2	Nov 13	March 16	9
1896-97	23.7	3.5	Nov 6	April 16	7
1897-98	70.7	9.4	Nov 26	March 13	16
1898-99	26.9	5.0	Oct 25	March 25	10
1899-00	31.8	3.0	Dec 3	April 12	13
1900-01	28.5	4.5	Nov 6	March 10	10
1901-02	4.0	0.7	Nov 22	Feb 6	0
1902-03	20.5	6.0	Nov 29	April 21	8
1903-04	41.0	6.0	Nov 28	April 9	16
1904-05	45.1	7.0	Dec 2	April 21	14
1905-06	36.9	6.4	Nov 7	April 5	12
1906-07	22.3	4.0	Oct 29	May 10	8
1907-08	28.8	5.0	Nov 30	March 7	10
1908-09	42.1	9.1	Dec 6	May 1	9
1909-10	70.9	12.1	Oct 11	April 24	14
1910-11	29.6	5.5	Oct 28	April 6	10
1911-12	58.2	11.5	Oct 26	April 18	15
1912-13	34.8	7.0	Nov 23	April 4	9
1913-14	17.1	6.7	Jan 1	April 10	5
1914-15	32.9	4.2	Dec 7	April 12	9
1915-16	30.1	11.0	Nov 22	March 22	11
1916-17	40.7	6.2	Nov 11	April 5	13
1917-18	52.4	6.3	Oct 21	March 14	18
1918-19	31.1	7.5	Nov 28	March 10	11
1919-20	32.2	2.8	Nov 27	April 12	15
1920-21	26.5	8.2	Nov 22	April 17	7
1921-22	28.8	7.2	Nov 7	March 30	7
1922-23	63.1	8.2	Dec 6	May 8	12
1923-24	46.7	5.8	Oct 29	March 31	15
1924-25	24.4	5.4	Nov 17	March 14	8
1925-26	52.2	6.3	Oct 9	April 6	15
1926-27	44.0	4.9	Oct 31	April 3	15
1927-28	32.0	5.0	Nov 17	April 16	8
1928-29	58.9	8.4	Nov 30	April 1	18
1929-30	37.0	6.0	Oct 22	April 1	11
1930-31	42.1	6.7	Nov 24	March 28	14
1931-32	18.2	3.9	Dec 9	March 24	8
1932-33	25.8	4.0	Nov 9	April 13	10
1933-34	17.6	3.0	Nov 5	April 27	5
1934-35	41.6	6.1	Nov 30	May 3	12
1935-36	52.5	5.6	Nov 19	April 7	18
1936-37	28.5	5.7	Nov 7	March 24	8
1937-38	28.1	6.0	Nov 14	April 6	9
1938-39	34.3	6.1	Nov 25	April 12	10
1939-40	35.8	6.4	Dec 19	May 2	11
1940-41	41.1	7.4	Nov 26	March 28	13
1941-42	28.1	10.1	Nov 7	March 31	6
1942-43	52.7	5.7	Nov 26	March 28	18
1943-44	23.0	3.4	Nov 7	April 16	10
1944-45	39.3	4.6	Nov 22	May 10	15
1945-46	45.7	9.6	Nov 21	March 8	12
1946-47	50.2	9.6	Nov 9	April 20	16
1947-48	41.5	7.6	Nov 10	March 29	14
1948-49	32.2	3.9	Nov 9	April 17	16
1949-50	35.9	10.3	Nov 17	April 4	10
1950-51	59.1	4.8	Nov 22	April 13	20
1951-52	57.2	4.8	Oct 24	April 12	23
1952-53	28.0	5.0	Oct 16	April 19	6
1953-54	20.6	4.0	Nov 26	March 29	6
1954-55	39.2	5.9	Nov 1	March 24	14
1955-56	29.9	4.9	Nov 16	April 6	10
1956-57	30.7	6.9	Nov 20	April 5	11
1957-58	21.9	2.6	Nov 8	April 6	8
1958-59	67.3	10.0	Nov 23	April 8	18
1959-60	52.2	5.6	Nov 5	April 17	16
1960-61	22.1	10.0	Nov 5	April 16	4
1961-62	49.3	4.7	Oct 19	April 13	17
1962-63	37.2	6.3	Oct 24	April 23	11
1963-64	31.1	5.2	Nov 30	April 8	10
1964-65	50.9	6.9	Oct 6	April 17	12
1965-66	25.4	7.1	Dec 16	May 11	8
1966-67	38.0	6.7	Nov 30	March 20	12
1967-68	12.7	1.4	Oct 26	April 24	2
1968-69	33.4	4.3	Nov 18	March 28	12
1969-70	37.5	8.4	Nov 13	April 2	10
1970-71	67.4	12.7	Nov 27	April 3	14
1971-72	50.3	10.9	Nov 8	April 7	15
1972-73	44.0	12.9	Nov 13	April 11	11
1973-74	42.9	5.0	Nov 15	April 14	14
1974-75	60.4	4.9	Nov 12	April 9	20
1975-76	30.8	6.0	Nov 12	March 14	11
1976-77	26.3	2.2	Nov 10	April 5	9
1977-78	56.7	7.0	Nov 23	April 2	16
1978-79	76.1	8.1	Nov 20	April 27	19
1979-80	31.0	4.0	Oct 23	April 15	13
1980-81	26.5	4.8	Nov 27	March 10	10
1981-82	49.9	8.0	Oct 24	April 9	15
1982-83	41.4	6.6	Nov 14	April 16	13
1983-84	42.2	5.3	Nov 27	April 23	16
1984-85	53.7	5.2	Nov 17	April 7	17
1985-86	72.4	12.1	Nov 8	April 15	21
1986-87	34.5	6.0	Nov 10	March 31	11
1987-88	62.2	13.2	Oct 22	April 27	14
1988-89	36.2	5.0	Oct 23	May 6	13
1989-90	34.8	4.1	Oct 19	May 10	14
1990-91	55.0	17.3	Oct 10	April 12	15
1991-92	42.5	5.3	Oct 18	April 1	13
1992-93	71.2	7.8	Oct 19	April 20	17
1993-94	73.7	11.6	Oct 30	April 30	17
1994-95	52.8	12.6	Nov 28	April 9	14
1995-96	60.5	12.6	Oct 21	April 30	15
1996-97	50.0	3.8	Nov 15	May 1	19
1997-98	53.9	6.8	Oct 23	March 19	14
1998-99	38.1	10.2	Nov 8	March 9	11
1999-00	34.1	5.0	Dec 15	April 11	9
2000-01	52.2	8.2	Nov 13	April 16	15
2001-02	31.8	6.6	Dec 23	April 21	10
2002-03	28.8	4.6	Oct 28	April 8	8
2003-04	31.6	3.8	Nov 24	May 2	11
2004-05	43.9	5.7	Dec 12	March 19	14
2005-06	47.9	6.1	Nov 15	May 11	13
2006-07	55.1	6.0	Oct 21	April 12	15
2007-08	101.4	11.9	Nov 21	April 12	27
2008-09	72.0	10.3	Nov 7	April 5	23
2009-10	51.6	7.1	Nov 25	April 8	16
2010-11	73.1	8.3	Dec 1	April 19	21
2011-12	31.4	5.2	Nov 9	March 4	11
2012-13	70.6	13.3	Nov 6	April 14	17
2013-14	59.2	5.9	Nov 11	April 14	21
2014-15	33.7	5.4	Oct 31	March 25	11
2015-16	32.7	5.6	Nov 20	April 8	13
2016-17	44.0	5.7	Dec 4	March 13	13
2017-18	44.4	7.2	Nov 18	April 18	14
2018-19	57.2	8.3	Nov 9	April 27	16
2019-20	53.7	6.0	Oct 28	April 13	18
2020-21	45.3	4.8	Oct 25	April 21	17
2021-22	31.3	4.2	Nov 13	April 18	11
2022-23	71.8	12.1	Oct 17	April 22	22
2023-24	43.3	8.6	Oct 31	April 4	15
2024-25	22.1	4.8	Nov 20	March 31	6
2025-26	50.6	9.3	Nov 8	March 18	13

How We Did This

Data: daily snowfall for the "Madison Area" threaded station (MSNthr) from NOAA's Applied Climate Information System, run by the Regional Climate Centers, downloaded 2026-10-09.(NOAA ACIS) It is the record NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan uses for Madison's snow statistics, starting in 1884; it joins earlier downtown and campus observations to the Dane County Regional Airport record.(NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan)
Seasons run July 1 to June 30, so each winter's October and May snow count toward the same season. The 2026-27 season under way now isn't included.
Totals add every daily snowfall; a trace counts as zero. Days with no report are skipped, and the CSV shows how many October-May days had none (most seasons have zero; 1995-96 has the most, 21).
Official numbers win. Where NWS publishes a figure, such as the 51.8-inch normal and the first and last snow dates, we quote it rather than our own sums. NWS's top-10 lists on its snow climatology page are the official rankings.(NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan)

Questions

How much snow does Madison get in a year?

The official normal is 51.8 inches, the 1991-2020 average for the Madison Area record kept by the National Weather Service. Over the whole record back to 1884-85, the average is 42.0 inches.

What was Madison's snowiest winter?

2007-08, with 101.4 inches. No other season in the record reached 80 inches; second is 1978-79 at 76.1.

What was the biggest snowstorm in Madison?

By one calendar day, Dec 3, 1990, with 17.3 inches. Storms that span two or three days can total more; NWS keeps those lists on its snow climatology page.

How much snow did Madison get in 2025-26?

50.6 inches, below the 51.8-inch normal. The last 10 seasons averaged 46.4 inches.

When does it usually start snowing in Madison?

NWS puts the average first 1-inch snowfall on Nov. 25 and the average last one on March 31. The earliest inch came Oct. 10, 1990, and the latest May 10, 1990.

Madison Snowfall, Every Winter Since 1884