First Snow in South Dakota

Q: When does it usually first snow in South Dakota?

The median first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) at Sioux Falls lands around November 6, based on NOAA daily records for the 1991-2020 climate normals period. An early winter brings it by October 12; a slow one holds off until November 22 or later. Other parts of South Dakota differ by weeks, so check the city table on this page.

Q: What counts as the first snow?

These dates track the first MEASURABLE snowfall of the season: at least 0.1 inch accumulating at the station, which is the National Weather Service convention. The first flakes in the air (a trace) usually happen one to three weeks earlier but are not counted, because a trace leaves nothing behind and half of them melt as they land.

Q: When does South Dakota get its first inch of snow?

At Sioux Falls, the median date for the first day with an inch or more of snowfall is around November 7. The gap between first flakes, first measurable snow, and the first real accumulation is the normal rhythm of early winter: the atmosphere flirts before it commits.

Q: What is the earliest it has ever snowed in South Dakota?

Among this page's reference stations, the earliest measurable snow on record is September 11 (2014) at Rapid City, when 0.4 inches fell. That is from the station's full NOAA daily record (1949 to 2026); higher elevations in the state have certainly been snowed on earlier than any airport gauge.

Q: Does it snow every year in South Dakota?

At Sioux Falls, yes: measurable snow fell in virtually every winter of the 1991-2020 record. The Black Hills can be white in September while the James Valley waits for November. Early blizzards are a real Plains hazard.

Sioux Falls typically sees the season's first measurable snow around November 6. Here is the full window, the rest of the state, and the records.

Typical first snow November 6 at Sioux Falls · 22 days away

First snow (Sioux Falls)

Nov 6

First 1 inch

Nov 7

Earliest on record

Sep 11

Season snowfall normal

45 in

South Dakota's first snow window

1991-2020 medians

Today

Sioux Falls's first measurable snow window, roughly the 10 to 90 percent range of the last three decades. The median sits near the middle: a coin flip that snow has already arrived.

October 12

Early winters

snow by here 1 year in 10

November 6

Median

the 50/50 date

November 22

Slow winters

still bare this late 1 year in 10

November 7

First inch

median first 1 in day

The Black Hills can be white in September while the James Valley waits for November. Early blizzards are a real Plains hazard.

City by city

First snow dates across South Dakota

A state average would hide the real story: elevation, latitude, and nearby water move first snow dates by weeks inside South Dakota. Each row below is one NOAA station's own record over the 1991 to 2020 climate normals period.

Station	Median first snow	First 1 inch	Winters with snow	Earliest on record
Sioux Falls	November 6	November 7	100%	September 25, 1939 (0.2 in)
Rapid City	November 9	November 11	100%	September 11, 2014 (0.4 in)
Aberdeen	November 2	November 15	100%	September 13, 1903 (0.5 in)

First measurable snowfall of the season falling on a city street in Buffalo, New York — The classic first snow: big wet flakes on warm pavement, sticking on grass and cars first. Buffalo's came on November 7 that year. “First snowfall of the year in Buffalo, New York - 20191107” by Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0

Flakes, then dustings, then inches

The three first snows of every winter

Every winter actually has three openings, and they are weeks apart. The first flakes come earliest: a trace in the air that melts on contact and never counts in the record books. The first measurable snow, 0.1 inch or more, is what this page tracks and what lands around November 6 at Sioux Falls. The first inch, the one that changes the morning commute, typically waits until around November 7.

The gap exists because early season snow fights a warm ground. The first systems cold enough to snow are usually moisture starved, and the first wet storms are usually a degree or two too warm. When both line up, that is the date neighbors remember.

Early November snow clinging to orange aspen leaves in Truckee, California — Snow on unfallen leaves is the signature of an early first snow, and the reason utilities dread October storms: leaves catch snow, and branches come down. “Snow on Aspens with autumn foliage along Brockway Road in Truckee, California” by Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0

Where these dates come from

How the South Dakota dates are calculated

NOAA publishes official 1991 to 2020 climate normals for seasonal snowfall totals, but not for first snow dates. The dates here are derived from NOAA's raw daily station records (GHCN-Daily): for each station, the first day of each July to June snow season with at least 0.1 inch of snowfall, across the 30 seasons of 1991-92 through 2020-21, reported as the 10th, 50th, and 90th percentile dates. Winters with gappy reporting are excluded rather than guessed, values that failed NOAA's own quality checks are skipped, and record earliest dates use each station's full period of record from 1872 onward.

Treat the median as a planning anchor, not a promise: any single winter can run two to three weeks either side, and your neighborhood's elevation can move it as much as the calendar does. Once you are inside the window, the 10 day forecast takes over from climatology.

Fresh first-of-season snow on a lamplit path in Central Park at dusk — Central Park's snow record runs back to 1869, one of the longest in the country. Its earliest measurable snow remains October 1876. “The First Snowfall in Central Park” by SavidgeMichael, CC BY 4.0

Common questions

South Dakota first snow FAQ

When does it usually first snow in South Dakota?

What counts as the first snow?

When does South Dakota get its first inch of snow?

What is the earliest it has ever snowed in South Dakota?

Does it snow every year in South Dakota?

Where do these dates come from?

The underlying observations are NOAA daily station records (GHCN-Daily) plus official 1991-2020 snowfall normals. NOAA does not publish first-snow date normals, so the medians and percentile windows here are derived from the daily records: for each station, the first day of each July-June snow season with 0.1 inch or more, across the 30 seasons of 1991-2020, reported as the 10th, 50th and 90th percentile dates. Seasons with gappy reporting are excluded rather than guessed.

Keep planning

The rest of South Dakota's cold season

South Dakota winter forecastWill the season ahead run cold or mild? NOAA's outlook plus snowfall normals and live snow depth.South Dakota first frost datesFrost comes weeks before snow. The garden calendar's other deadline, city by city.Live snow depth mapWhat is actually on the ground right now, anywhere in the country.South Dakota ski seasonWhen the lifts usually start turning, and which weeks to aim for.

First snow in nearby states

First snow = first day with 0.1 inch or more of snowfall at the named NOAA station (trace flurries excluded). Medians and windows are our derivation from NOAA NCEI GHCN-Daily records over 1991-2020; seasonal snowfall normals are NOAA's official figures. National picture: first snow dates for every state