The first flakes of 2007 were seen flitting about around the Twin Cities on November 6. This is later than usual. The median (and also average) date of a trace of snowfall or more in the Twin Cities is October 16 (using statistics from 1948 to 2006). There hasn't been a September snowfall in the Twin Cities since 1985. The next question is: When is the median date of the first one inch of snow in the Twin Cities?

Median date first one-inch snowfall  (1891-2006) November 18
earliest                             (1891-2006) September 26, 1942
lastest                              (1891-2006) January 9, 1945

Average first one-inch snow depth(1903-2006) November 21
earliest                         (1903-2006) October 13, 1959
latest                           (1903-2006) January 1, 1913


Earliest 1 inch snowfall (season) (From 1891-2006)
--------------------------------
1.)  Sep 26, 1942	(42-43)
2.)  Oct 10, 1977	(77-78)
3.)  Oct 12, 1959	(59-60)
4.)  Oct 12, 1969	(69-70) Tie
5.)  Oct 18, 1925	(25-26)
6.)  Oct 18, 1976	(76-77) Tie
7.)  Oct 19, 1916	(16-17)
8.)  Oct 23, 1938	(38-39)
9.)  Oct 25, 1905	(05-06)
10.) Oct 27, 1919	(19-20)


Earliest 1 inch snow depth (season)* (From 1903-2006)
-----------------------------------
1.)  Oct 13, 1959	(59-60)
2.)  Oct 13, 1969	(69-70)
3.)  Oct 19, 1916	(16-17)
4.)  Oct 23, 1938	(38-39)
5.)  Oct 25, 1905	(05-06)
6.)  Oct 27, 1919	(19-20)
7.)  Oct 30, 1955	(55-56)
8.)  Nov 1, 1941	(41-42)
9.)  Nov 1, 1991	(91-92) Tie
10.) Nov 1, 1995	(95-96) Tie


Latest 1 inch snowfall  (season) (From 1891-2006)
------------------------------
1.)  Jan 21 2005        (04-05)
2.)  Jan 9, 1945	(44-45)
3.)  Jan 6, 1981	(80-81)
4.)  Jan 1, 1914	(13-14)
5.)  Dec 30, 1918	(18-19)
6.)  Dec 26, 1904	(04-05)
7.)  Dec 21, 1920	(20-21)
8.)  Dec 21, 2006	(06-07) Tie
9.)  Dec 20, 1998	(98-99)
10.) Dec 19, 1939	(39-40)

Latest 1 inch snow depth (season)* (From 1903-2006)
---------------------------------
1.)  Jan 1, 1913	(12-13)
2.)  Dec 27, 1918	(18-19)
3.)  Dec 26, 1904	(04-05)
4.)  Dec 24, 1960	(60-61)
5.)  Dec 21, 1920	(20-21)
6.)  Dec 21, 2006	(06-07) Tie
6.)  Dec 20, 1914       (14-15) 
8.)  Dec 20, 1998	(98-99) Tie
8.)  Dec 19, 1939       (39-40) 
10.) Dec 19, 1999	(99-00) Tie
10.) Dec 16, 1906	(06-07)


*observation time varies over the years from 8pm to 6:30 pm through 1949, 
to 6:30 am for years after 1949. From the winter of 2000-01 to 2003-04 the values are from the Chanhassen National Weather Service.
The measuring site moved back to the Twin Cities International Airport beginning in the 2004-05 snow season.

YEAR-BY-YEAR

SNOWFALL AND SNOW DEPTH DATA FOR MSP...FIRST INCH
------------------------------------------------------------
Date of first   Amount of  Date of      Amount   Time
1 inch snow	Snow       first 1      of snow  of 
                           inch depth	depth	 observation 
------------------------------------------------------------
Nov 11, 1891	1.5					
Nov 07, 1892	1.5					
Nov 21, 1893	2.7					
Dec 11, 1894	2					
Nov 25, 1895	1.5					
Nov 04, 1896	2.5					
Nov 26, 1897	1.7					
Nov 21, 1898	4				
Nov 12, 1899	1					
Nov 16, 1900	2					
Nov 03, 1901	2.2					
Nov 14, 1902	1					
Nov 12, 1903	1	Nov 22, 1903	1.0	8:00 pm			
Dec 26, 1904	1	Dec 26, 1904	1.0	8:00 pm	
Oct 25, 1905	5.5	Oct 25, 1905	5.5	7:00 pm
Dec 06, 1906	2.5	Dec 16, 1906	1.8	7:00 pm
Dec 13, 1907	1.2	Dec 13, 1907	1.2	7:00 pm
Dec 16, 1908	2	Dec 16, 1908	1.4	7:00 pm
Nov 16, 1909	10.5	Nov 16, 1909	10.5	7:00 pm
Nov 04, 1910	1	Nov 14, 1910	1.2	7:00 pm
Nov 14, 1911	1.2	Nov 14, 1911	1.3	7:00 pm
Dec 05, 1912	3	Dec 05, 1912	2.5	7:00 pm
Jan 01, 1914	4	Jan 01, 1914	4	7:00 pm
Dec 07, 1914	1.1	Dec 20, 1914	1.4	7:00 pm
Nov 13, 1915	1.7	Nov 13, 1915	1.7	7:00 pm
Oct 19, 1916	1.3	Oct 19, 1916	1	7:00 pm
Dec 04, 1917	2.5	Dec 04, 1917	2.2	7:00 pm
Dec 30, 1918	1.4	Dec 27, 1918	1.3	7:00 pm
Oct 27, 1919	2.6	Oct 27, 1919	2.6	7:00 pm
Dec 21, 1920	5.3	Dec 21, 1920	5.3	7:00 pm
Nov 07, 1921	2.5	Nov 07, 1921	2.5	7:00 pm
Dec 14, 1922	1.5	Dec 14, 1922	1.5	7:00 pm
Nov 27, 1923	1	Nov 22, 1923	1	7:00 pm
Nov 07, 1924	3	Nov 07, 1924	2.5	7:00 pm
Oct 18, 1925	1	Nov 30, 1925	3.3	7:00 pm
Nov 18, 1926	1.4	Nov 18, 1926	1.9	7:00 pm
Nov 14, 1927	1	Nov 14, 1927	1	7:00 pm
Dec 03, 1928	1.4	Dec 03, 1928	1.3	7:00 pm
Oct 29, 1929	1.9	Nov 24, 1929	1.3	7:00 pm
Nov 25, 1930	3.2	Nov 25, 1930	3.5	7:00 pm
Dec 05, 1931	1.2	Dec 05, 1931	1.2	7:00 pm
Oct 31, 1932	1.4	Dec 04, 1932	1	7:00 pm
Nov 05, 1933	2.2	Nov 05, 1933	1.8	7:00 pm
Nov 30, 1934	8	Nov 30, 1934	8	7:00 pm
Dec 12, 1935	1	Nov 28, 1935	1.4	7:00 pm
Nov 26, 1936	1.5	Nov 26, 1936	1.3	7:00 pm
Nov 18, 1937	1.2	Nov 18, 1937	1	6:30 pm
Oct 23, 1938	1.4	Oct 23, 1938	1	6:30 pm
Dec 19, 1939	4.6	Dec 19, 1939	3.5	6:30 pm
Nov 11, 1940	8.2	Nov 11, 1940	8.2	6:30 pm
Nov 01, 1941	3.6	Nov 01, 1941	1.5	6:30 pm
Sep 26, 1942	1.7	Dec 15, 1942	1.5	6:30 pm
Nov 07, 1943	1.1	Nov 08, 1943	6	6:30 pm
Jan 09, 1945	2.0	Nov 29, 1944	1.2	6:30 pm
Nov 08, 1945	1.2	Nov 08, 1945	1.2	6:30 pm
Nov 10, 1946	2.1	Nov 24, 1946	1.5	6:30 pm
Nov 07, 1947	4.2	Nov 07, 1947	3.5	6:30 pm
Nov 20, 1948	1.2	Nov 20, 1948	1	6:30 pm
Nov 16, 1949	1	Nov 24, 1949	1	6:30 pm
Nov 16, 1950	1.1	Nov 22, 1950	1	6:30 am
Nov 03, 1951	4.2	Nov 03, 1951	4	6:30 am
Nov 25, 1952	5.3	Nov 25, 1952	2	6:30 am
Nov 21, 1953	1.5	Nov 22, 1953	1	6:30 am
Nov 26, 1954	2.4	Nov 02, 1954	1	6:30 am
Oct 29, 1955	2.2	Oct 30, 1955	1	6:30 am
Nov 15, 1956	5.1	Nov 16, 1956	5	6:30 am
Nov 18, 1957	7.6	Nov 09, 1957	1	6:30 am
Nov 23, 1958	2.6	Nov 24, 1958	2	6:30 am
Oct 12, 1959	2	Oct 13, 1959	1	6:30 am
Nov 17, 1960	1.6	Dec 24, 1960	1	6:30 am
Nov 22, 1961	1.5	Nov 22, 1961	1	6:30 am
Nov 23, 1962	5.6	Nov 23, 1962	1	6:30 am
Dec 02, 1963	1.4	Dec 03, 1963	1	6:30 am
Nov 27, 1964	3	Nov 26, 1964	1	6:30 am
Nov 26, 1965	1.3	Nov 27, 1965	1	6:30 am
Nov 11, 1966	2.2	Nov 10, 1966	1	6:30 am
Dec 09, 1967	1.3	Dec 10, 1967	1	6:30 am
Nov 16, 1968	1.4	Nov 17, 1968	1	6:30 am
Oct 12, 1969	2	Oct 13, 1969	1	6:30 am
Nov 26, 1970	5	Nov 26, 1970	1	6:30 am
Nov 23, 1971	2.8	Nov 23, 1971	3	6:30 am
Dec 01, 1972	1.5	Dec 01, 1972	1	6:30 am
Dec 04, 1973	3.2	Dec 04, 1973	3	6:30 am
Nov 26, 1974	1	Nov 27, 1974	1	6:30 am
Nov 09, 1975	2	Nov 21, 1975	7	6:30 am
Oct 18, 1976	1.3	Dec 03, 1976	2	6:30 am
Oct 10, 1977	2.5	Nov 10, 1977	1	6:30 am
Nov 12, 1978	1.6	Nov 12, 1978	1	6:30 am
Nov 09, 1979	1.3	Nov 09, 1979	1	6:30 am
Jan 06, 1981	1	Dec 08, 1980	1	6:30 am
Nov 18, 1981	4.2	Nov 19, 1981	8	6:30 am
Nov 12, 1982	1.2	Nov 14, 1982	1	6:30 am
Nov 09, 1983	4.5	Nov 24, 1983	10	6:30 am
Nov 27, 1984	2	Nov 28, 1984	1	6:30 am
Nov 09, 1985	1.1	Nov 09, 1985	1	6:30 am
Nov 18, 1986	1.6	Nov 11, 1986	1	6:30 am
Nov 17, 1987	1.6	Nov 18, 1987	1	6:30 am
Nov 05, 1988	2.9	Nov 06, 1988	3	6:30 am
Nov 03, 1989	1	Nov 04, 1989	1	6:30 am
Nov 03, 1990	2.9	Nov 04, 1990	1	6:30 am
Oct 31, 1991	8.2	Nov 01, 1991	14	6:30 am
Nov 01, 1992	2.5	Nov 02, 1992	4	6:30 am
Nov 05, 1993	1.5	Nov 05, 1993	1	6:30 am
Nov 27, 1994	4.8	Nov 28, 1994	5	6:30 am
Nov 01, 1995	1.6	Nov 01, 1995	1	6:30 am
Nov 15, 1996	1.7	Nov 15, 1996	1	6:30 am
Nov 02, 1997	1	Nov 13, 1997	1	6:30 am
Dec 20, 1998	2.0	Dec 20, 1998	1	6:30 am
Dec 19, 1999	2.3	Dec 19, 1999	2	6:30 am
Nov  7, 2000	1.2	Nov  8, 2000	1	6:30 am
Nov 26, 2001	5.9	Nov 27, 2001	8	6:30 am
Dec  4, 2002	1.5	Dec  4, 2002	1	6:30 am
Nov  3, 2003	1.4	Nov 23, 2003	1	6:30 am
Jan 21, 2005	5.5	Nov 28, 2004	1	6:30 am
Nov 25, 2005	2.1	Nov 16, 2005	1	6:30 am  
Dec 21, 2006    1.0     Dec 22, 2006    1       6:30 am
--------------------------------------------------------

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URL: http://climate.umn.edu/doc/journal/snowcovmsp.htm
Last modified: December 7, 2006