Farmers' Almanac shared its Old Farmer's Almanac Northeast snow prediction in September, laying out when the first snowfall typically arrives across U.S. regions. The update focuses on the first flakes, not when snow starts to stick.
New England and the Northeast
Higher elevations in the Northwest usually see snow in August or September, and AccuWeather said Mt. Bachelor in Oregon saw some snow falling at the start of September. New England typically follows in October, while the Great Lakes, the Northeast, and higher elevations in the Central Rockies usually get their first flakes in November.
Late November Through December
The Central Plains, Mid-Atlantic interior, the Ohio Valley, and lower-elevation areas of the Northwest usually fall into late November through December. Farmers' Almanac framed the map as a seasonal guide for readers trying to gauge when flakes may first show up where they live, not a count of accumulation dates.
That wider timing range is why the same update can point to snow already arriving in one part of the country while other regions wait into late fall or early winter. Climate Central said winter is the fastest-warming time of year for most of the U.S., and that rising world temperatures could make it harder to accurately predict when winter precipitation will begin.
Deep South and Florida
The Deep South, Gulf Coast, desert Southwest lowlands, lower Southeast, and Florida either have very rare snowfall or no snow at all. One commenter wrote, “Colorado too late, Washington too early except for the high Cascades,” while another said, “Way off for middle Tennessee,” and a third wrote, “Arkansas and southern Missouri don't get the first snow until usually late December or January. Looking at the comments, this map is wrong in a lot of places,”
For readers comparing their own region to the map, the practical takeaway is simple: the first flakes tend to arrive first in higher elevations in the Northwest, then move into New England, the Great Lakes, the Northeast, and the Central Rockies before reaching the Central Plains, Mid-Atlantic interior, the Ohio Valley, and lower-elevation areas of the Northwest later in the season.
