Do you need a snowblower in Sault Ste. Marie, MI?
What clears snow in Sault Ste. Marie
Two-stage snowblower
Sault Ste. Marie averages 120 inches a year, among the snowiest towns in the country. Volume alone needs a two-stage machine.
Before you buy, measure the garage door and the storage spot: these machines are wide and heavy.
What a Sault Ste. Marie winter brings
- Snow a year
- 120 in
- Storms of 5 in or more
- 4.0 a winter
- Storms of 10 in or more
- about once every 3 winters
- Days with snow on the ground
- 137
Extreme, among the snowiest towns in the country. That is about 3.3 times what a typical snowy US city gets. It tends to stay, so each storm lands on the last one.
On a two car driveway that is about 15.6 tons of snow to move in a season, and a 10 inch storm weighs 2,600 pounds.
When the snow comes in Sault Ste. Marie
- Oct1.7
- Nov16.0
- Dec30.4
- Jan30.3
- Feb20.7
- Mar13.0
- Apr7.6
- May0.4
Snow worth clearing runs from October to April, heaviest in December. Start and service a machine in September.
Towns near Sault Ste. Marie
Sault Ste. Marie is the snowiest Michigan town here for snowfall.
| Town | Miles | Snow | Two car, paved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpena, MI | 107 | 59 in | Gas single-stage |
| Traverse City, MI | 133 | 101 in | Two-stage snowblower |
| Escanaba, MI | 139 | 47 in | Gas single-stage |
| Marquette, MI | 144 | 102 in | Two-stage snowblower |
| Cadillac, MI | 162 | 74 in | Two-stage snowblower |
| Marinette, WI | 184 | 44 in | Gas single-stage |
Where these numbers come from
Read next: Single-stage or two-stage and Why storm depth matters more than snowfall.
NOAA 1991 to 2020 climate normals from Sault Ste Marie Sanderson Field, 0.7 miles from Sault Ste. Marie. A normal winter, not this winter's forecast. Snow is weighed at 6.24 pounds a cubic foot, fresh and fairly dry; wet spring snow can weigh three times that.