When is the earliest snowfall on record for parts of the Northeast?
When have these Northeast states seen the earliest snow on record?
Northern Rockies forecast to see the first snowflakes of the season this weekend
Snow, already? You heard that right. The first flakes of the fall are forecast for the higher elevations of the Northern Rockies this weekend. It's pretty much right on schedule with the first freeze of the season expected in this region in the first few weeks of September.
As fall progresses and temperatures cool, winter weather returns, and some locations in the North still have a chance of uncharacteristically early snowfall.
As the holiday season approaches, locations in the Northeast, such as the high-elevation Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire, will begin to see the year's first snowfall, prompting the question: when have various states seen the earliest snow on record?
New Hampshire
It isn’t common for northern locations to see snowfall this early in the fall, but winter weather has already begun in parts of the Northeast.
This comes as the Mount Washington Observatory recorded its first measurable snowfall of the season: 0.7 inches.
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On top of this, 0.5 inches of snow fell on Oct. 5 in just 24 hours.
NASHUA, NH - OCTOBER 30: Fall leaves rest on a pile of snow in a front yard on Ken Superior Drive on October 30, in Nashua, New Hampshire. An early October winter storm hit the Northeast on the evening of October 29, 2011, causing damage to trees, power lines, and leaving people without power for the entire day. (Kayana Szymczak / Getty Images)
According to records dating back to 1935, the first day of true snow for the Mount Washington Observatory was Aug. 31, officials said.
In other parts of the state, the earliest measurable snowfall occurred on Sept. 17, 1965, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
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Upstate New York
Upstate New York is known for intense, long-lasting snowstorms that keep people hunkered down indoors for extended periods.
This usually happens between periods when temperatures start to shift significantly, often allowing early snowfall to make an appearance for residents in Western New York.
Buffalo is usually the center of attention during the long winter months, and for good reason: the city's average earliest snowfall occurs by Oct. 24, with the first measurable snowfall (over 0.1 inches) by Nov. 8.
Snow partially covers a potted pumpkin display on a lawn as the Capital Region receives its first snow fall of the season on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020 in Albany, N.Y. (Photo by Lori Van Buren/Albany Times Union via Getty Images) (Lori Van Buren/Albany Times Union / Getty Images)
The earliest first snowfall to occur in Buffalo was on Sept. 20, 1956, according to the NWS.
In northeast New York, Rochester typically sees the first snowflakes of the season by Oct. 23, but usually sees the first measurable snowfall on Nov. 8 as well.
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 15: The season's first snow falls on November 15, 2018 in the Carroll Gardens neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City. (Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis / Getty Images)
Massachusetts
The Bay State can often become a winter wonderland once snow begins to fall, but sometimes, the first flakes arrive sooner than expected.
According to the National Weather Service, the state's earliest measurable snowfall occurred on Sept. 26, 1942, when Massachusetts saw an inch of snow.
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Maryland
Numerous states across the Northeast region experienced a brutal winter last year, and Maryland endured high snow totals throughout the season.
The statewide average seasonal snowfall is 20.6 inches, and the most snowfall ever recorded in a single season fell during the winter of 2009-19, when Keysers Ridge in Garrett County recorded 262.5 inches.
FREDERICK, MD - NOVEMBER 15: Autumn leaves get a coating of snow during the first snowfall of the season November 15, 2018 in Frederick, MD. (Katherine Frey/The Washington Post / Getty Images)
The earliest measurable snowfall in the state occurred in Baltimore on Oct. 10, 1979, when 0.3 inches fell.
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As we move into early fall, the chance of a new first-measurable record remains, as temperatures drop and the holiday season approaches.