The Earliest and Latest Sioux Falls Has Gotten Snow
The falling leaves got me thinking about the history of snow in Sioux Falls. More specifically, what are some of the extreme snow records that our City has experienced? So I dug into the National Weather Service archives to find out.
On average, Sioux Falls is free of snow from May to September. We usually get our first snowfall in November. but, an October visit from Jack Frost isn't out of the question. And some years old man winter overstays his welcome.
When Does Sioux Falls Get Its First Snow?
The earliest that Sioux Falls has had some snow is September 9, 2020, when a trace of snow fell. The previous record for earliest snow was September 18, 1929. Again, only a trace of snow fell on the Model As cruising Phillips Avenue that day.
Ten years later in 1939, Sioux Falls got its earliest measurable snowfall; 0.3 of an inch on September 25.
The earliest significant snowfall in the city was on October 1, 1999. I guess mother nature saw the calendar change to October and just couldn't wait to get the last winter of the millennium started.
(I know, I know, there was no year zero so the millennium actually ended in the year 2000. But, is the internet really the proper place to argue about small details that don't matter? Oh, wait, never mind).
The earliest heavy snowfall in Sioux Falls was the Halloween blizzard of 1991. That year Sioux Falls tried to trick or treat in over 15 inches of snow.
When Does Sioux Falls Get Its Last Snow?
The latest in the season that Sioux Falls has gotten snow was a trace of snow on June 3, 1998.
For measurable snow; the latest in the season was on May 18, 1968, when Sioux Falls got 0.1 of an inch. Twenty-five years that, Sioux Falls was blanketed with two inches on May 12, 1943.
On April 30, 1994, Mother Nature gave the city a little winter reminder when 10.5 inches buried Sioux Falls. I'm sure the melting that came after that storm was a mess.