With winter fast approaching, one commonly asked question we get is “What is the average date of the first snowfall of the season?” The answer is that it depends on the location. The table below shows the mean date of the first snowfall at 19 first-order weather stations, as well as the earliest and latest first snowfalls recorded.
Table. Mean date of first measurable (≥0.1 in) snowfall.
*Calculated with season start date of Jul 1
The earliest first snowfall dates occur in the Arctic region. In Utqiagvik, snowfall has been observed even during the summer months, with the 30-year summer seasonal average snowfall of 1.7 inches. For the rest of the state, the mean first snowfall date occurs between the end of September to the beginning of November. Locations within the Interior and farther north have earlier first snowfall dates than locations along the coast and further south. The latest dates for the first snowfall occur across the Southeast. Snowfall records from Annette, which span from 1941 to 2018, show three snow seasons when the first snowfall date occurred after January 1: 1941-1942 (Feb 25), 1969-1970 (Jan 4), and 1989-1990 (Jan 1).
Check out our Snowfall Climate Normals page or download snowfall data from our Data Portal.
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