After near-record or record-breaking temperatures on Halloween and Election Day, respectively, Rochester has yet to see its first snowfall of the year.
There has been measurable snowfall in the United States outside the mountains, with Minneapolis receiving 0.2 inches of snow on October 31. And the average earliest measurable snowfall in Rochester is Nov. 8, according to records going back to 1940.
It can be hard to feel like snow is on the way when Rochester saw 81 degrees on Nov. 5, a temperature that was 23 degrees above normal for that date. Especially as the city continues to experience its hottest year on record in terms of average temperature, high temperature and low temperature.
When does it usually snow for the first time in Rochester?
While the average first measurable snowfall in Rochester falls on November 8, the first snowfall since 1940 was on October 12, 2006.
In the past five years, the first snowfall was recorded, in reverse chronological order, on October 31, November 13, November 15, November 2 and November 7.
When will Rochester see its first snow?
Western New York is no stranger to early season storms in November, especially noticeable in Lake Effect-prone Buffalo. Two of the region’s largest snowstorms occurred in November: the 1913 Great Lakes Hurricane and 2014 Snovember.
However, every year is different and it doesn’t look like snow will fall anytime soon. The AccuWeather forecast for Rochester in November predicts only two days with below average high temperatures and only one day with or below average low temperatures. No temperatures below freezing are expected until the end of the month, although the reliability of forecasts drops to 50% after ten days.
Snow records in November
While there hasn’t been a November worthy of being in the Top 10 of Rochester’s snowiest months, two dates later in the month did make the list for record snowfall in a single day. On November 30, 1934, a foot of snow fell and on November 25, 1952, 10 inches of snow fell, ranking eighth and tenth respectively on the list.
The highest November snowfall total in Rochester was 1985, with 22.5 inches.
— Steve Howe reports on weather, climate and the Great Lakes for the Democrat and Chronicle. A graduate of RIT, he has covered numerous topics over the years, including public safety, local government, national politics and economic development in New York and Utah.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: When does it snow for the first time in Rochester NY? What the past years tell us
