Data
When do snakes come out? Snake season by state
Month-by-month snake activity for every U.S. state and Canadian province, built from 1,337,651 research-grade sightings. Find your state to see when snakes come out, when they peak, and when they disappear for winter.
The short answer
Across most of the United States, snake season runs from spring into fall, and May is the most common peak month. Snakes come out once days warm reliably, typically March or April in the South and May in the North, and most retreat to winter shelters by November.
In Florida, snakes are seen in every month of the year, so there is no true off season.
Even outside the season, a warm afternoon can bring a snake out to bask. If you are bitten at any time of year, call 911 or Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
United States
| Place | Active season | Peak | Month by month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Mar to Oct | Apr, May | |
| Arizona | Apr to Sep | Aug | |
| Arkansas | Mar to Oct | Apr, May | |
| California | Mar to Sep | Apr, May | |
| Colorado | Apr to Sep | May, Jun, Jul | |
| Connecticut | Apr to Oct | May, Jun | |
| Delaware | Apr to Oct | May | |
| District of Columbia | Apr to Sep | May | |
| Florida | Year-round | Mar, Apr, May | |
| Georgia | Mar to Oct | Apr, May | |
| Hawaii | Jan to Nov | Mar, Jul | |
| Idaho | Apr to Sep | May, Jun | |
| Illinois | Mar to Oct | Apr, May, Oct | |
| Indiana | Apr to Sep | May | |
| Iowa | Apr to Oct | May | |
| Kansas | Apr to Oct | Apr, May | |
| Kentucky | Apr to Sep | May | |
| Louisiana | Mar to Jun | Apr | |
| Maine | May to Oct | Jun, Jul | |
| Maryland | Apr to Oct | May | |
| Massachusetts | Apr to Oct | May | |
| Michigan | Apr to Oct | May, Jun | |
| Minnesota | Apr to Oct | May | |
| Mississippi | Mar to Oct | Apr, May | |
| Missouri | Mar to Oct | Apr, May | |
| Montana | May to Sep | Jun, Jul | |
| Nebraska | Apr to Oct | May, Sep | |
| Nevada | Apr to Sep | May | |
| New Hampshire | Apr to Oct | May, Jun | |
| New Jersey | Apr to Oct | May | |
| New Mexico | May to Sep | Jul, Aug | |
| New York | Apr to Oct | May, Jun | |
| North Carolina | Mar to Oct | May | |
| North Dakota | May to Sep | Jun, Jul | |
| Ohio | Apr to Sep | May | |
| Oklahoma | Apr to Oct | Apr, May | |
| Oregon | Mar to Oct | May | |
| Pennsylvania | Apr to Oct | May, Jun | |
| Rhode Island | Apr to Oct | Apr, May, Jun | |
| South Carolina | Mar to Oct | Apr, May | |
| South Dakota | May to Oct | May, Jun | |
| Tennessee | Mar to Oct | Apr, May | |
| Texas | Mar to Oct | Apr, May | |
| Utah | Apr to Sep | May | |
| Vermont | Apr to Oct | May, Jun | |
| Virginia | Apr to Oct | May | |
| Washington | Apr to Sep | May, Jun | |
| West Virginia | Apr to Sep | May, Jun | |
| Wisconsin | Apr to Oct | May, Jun | |
| Wyoming | May to Sep | Jun, Jul |
Canada
| Place | Active season | Peak | Month by month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | Apr to Sep | May, Jun, Aug, Sep | |
| British Columbia | Apr to Sep | May | |
| Manitoba | May to Oct | May, Sep | |
| New Brunswick | May to Oct | Jun, Jul | |
| Nova Scotia | Apr to Oct | Jun, Jul, Sep | |
| Ontario | Apr to Oct | May, Jun | |
| Prince Edward Island | May to Oct | Jul, Aug, Sep | |
| Québec | Apr to Oct | May, Sep | |
| Saskatchewan | May to Oct | May, Aug, Sep |
How we measured it
We counted research-grade snake observations on iNaturalist in each state by calendar month, all years combined. The active season is the run of months with at least 30% of the busiest month’s sightings; peak months are within 15% of the busiest. Sightings track both snake activity and how many people are outdoors looking, so treat the curves as a guide to when encounters happen, not a census. Places with fewer than 150 sightings are left out.
See also the snakiest counties in America.