SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – One week after 80-degree weather warmed Central New York, the National Weather Service is predicting the region’s first snowfall of the year early this Friday. CNY Central meteorologist Sydney Sullivan dove into the record books to find patterns in the region’s snowfall.
“The normal first measurable snow is actually Nov. 4. So it’s really not too far off,” Sullivan said. “The earliest measurable snow that we’ve ever had on record was Oct. 1, back in the 1940s.”
Measurable snow is considered anything above 1/10 of an inch. According to Sullivan, the latest date Syracuse got its first snow was Dec. 11, 1998, when less than a quarter inch fell. While snow in October isn’t that uncommon, the monthly average for October is only 4/10 of an inch.
Sullivan said the potential snow coming in might be a result of the cold weather in the west combining with the moisture from Hurricane Zeta to the south. Midwest cities like Minneapolis have already had around eight inches of snow this season. If any snow does come to the Syracuse area, Sullivan does not expect it to stick for very long.
As for the rest of the winter, Sullivan says it’s too early to predict. While the recent trend has been warmer, milder winters, Central New Yorkers won’t know exactly what kind of winter they will get until they are deeper into the season.
