Do you need a snowblower in South Bend, IN?
The machine for a South Bend driveway
Two-stage snowblower
South Bend averages 65 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.
How much snow South Bend gets
- Snow a year
- 65 in
- Storms of 5 in or more
- 2.6 a winter
- Storms of 10 in or more
- about once every 5 winters
- Days with snow on the ground
- 52
Extreme, among the snowiest towns in the country. That is about 1.8 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 8.4 tons of snow to move in a season, and a 10 inch storm weighs 2,600 pounds.
When the snow comes in South Bend
- Oct0.2
- Nov5.1
- Dec13.7
- Jan21.6
- Feb16.1
- Mar6.8
- Apr1.0
Snow worth clearing runs from November to April, heaviest in January. Start and service a machine in October.
Towns near South Bend
South Bend is number 3 of 88 Indiana towns here for snowfall; Michigan City gets the most at 65 inches.
| Town | Miles | Snow | Two car, paved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mishawaka, IN | 5 | 50 in | Cordless single-stage |
| Niles, MI | 11 | 63 in | Gas single-stage |
| Elkhart, IN | 16 | 37 in | Cordless single-stage |
| Plymouth, IN | 23 | 55 in | Gas single-stage |
| La Porte, IN | 23 | 65 in | Two-stage snowblower |
| Goshen, IN | 24 | 45 in | Cordless 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 South Bend Michiana Regional Airport, 3.2 miles from South Bend. 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.