At a Glance

Some U.S. cities are a few weeks late recording their first accumulating snow of the season.The record latest first accumulating snow has occurred anywhere from November to February in many U.S. cities.

The first measurable snow of the season is overdue by a few weeks in severalcities across the nation this year.

Accumulated snowfall so far this fall across the United States as of Nov. 29, 2017. (NOAA)

Salt Lake City is now more than three weeks past its average first measurable snow date. Not far behind are Flagstaff, Arizona;Omaha, Nebraska;Des Moines, Iowa;Detroit;and Pittsburgh, which are all more than two weeks past their average first measurable snow date.

Measurable snow is defined as an accumulation of 0.1 inches or greater.

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While thesecities are not in record territory for late-arriving first snows, it got us thinking about how late in the winter the first accumulating snow has occurred in major U.S. cities.

The range of possibilities extends from November to February depending on the latitude of a particular location. In some cases, particularly at southern latitudes, there are years where no measurable snow occurred.

Each colored dot represents the timeframe of when the latest first measurable snow on record occurred for a respective location.

Pittsburgh is the lagging city thisseason that is closest to its record latest first accumulating snow benchmark. That record is still more than two weeks away, however, set on Dec. 18, 2005.

Late December is the timeframe for the record latest first measurable snows in Albany, New York (Dec. 28, 2015), Des Moines(Dec. 26, 1939), and Detroit (Dec. 29, 1998).

Flagstaff(Jan. 15, 2006), and Salt Lake City (Jan. 2, 1891) would have to see no accumulating snow into January before coming anywhere near their latest first measurable snowfall records.

As the table above illustrates, a few northern United States locations have yet to move past their average first accumulating snow date, including New York City and Washington, D.C. The record latest accumulating snow occurred deep into January in New York City and at the end of February in Washington, D.C.

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While many U.S. cities have already seen their first measurable snow this season, the amounts have been paltry,thanks to a fairly calm November. For example, Buffalo, New York, has seen just 0.2 inches of its average season snowfall total through the end of November which is about 9 inches.

A colder weather pattern into December could increase the prospects for snowfall in parts of the central and eastern states. See the link below for more details.

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