First Snow in Washington

Q: When does it usually first snow in Washington?

The median first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) at Seattle lands around December 21, based on NOAA daily records for the 1991-2020 climate normals period. An early winter brings it by November 29; some winters it holds off far longer. Other parts of Washington 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 Washington get its first inch of snow?

At Seattle, the median date for the first day with an inch or more of snowfall is around February 3. 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 Washington?

Among this page's reference stations, the earliest measurable snow on record is September 23 (1926) at Spokane, when 1.4 inches fell. That is from the station's full NOAA daily record (1893 to 2026); higher elevations in the state have certainly been snowed on earlier than any airport gauge.

Q: Does it snow every year in Washington?

Not at every elevation. Seattle recorded measurable snow in about 8 winters in 10 during the 1991-2020 period. Spokane is reliably white by mid November. Seattle averages a late-December first snow and misses measurable snow entirely in about one winter in five.

Measurable snow reaches Seattle in about 8 winters in 10, and half of all winters have seen it by December 21. Here is the full picture, station by station.

Typical first snow December 21 at Seattle · 67 days away

First snow (Seattle)

Dec 21

First 1 inch

Feb 3

Earliest on record

Sep 23

Season snowfall normal

6 in

Washington's first snow window

1991-2020 medians

December 21

First snow

half of winters by here

82%

Winters with snow

at Seattle, 1991-2020

September 23, 1926

Earliest on record

Spokane, 1.4 in

Spokane is reliably white by mid November. Seattle averages a late-December first snow and misses measurable snow entirely in about one winter in five.

City by city

First snow dates across Washington

A state average would hide the real story: elevation, latitude, and nearby water move first snow dates by weeks inside Washington. Each row below is one NOAA station's own record over the 1991 to 2020 climate normals period. Where a station saw measurable snow in fewer than half of those winters, no median exists and the table says so instead of inventing one.

Station	Median first snow	First 1 inch	Winters with snow	Earliest on record
Seattle	December 21	February 3	82%	October 27, 1971 (2 in)
Spokane	November 13	November 17	100%	September 23, 1926 (1.4 in)
Yakima	November 26	December 4	100%	October 10, 1955 (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 December 21 at Seattle. The first inch, the one that changes the morning commute, typically waits until around February 3.

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 Washington 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

Washington first snow FAQ

When does it usually first snow in Washington?

What counts as the first snow?

When does Washington get its first inch of snow?

What is the earliest it has ever snowed in Washington?

Does it snow every year in Washington?

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 Washington's cold season

Washington winter forecastWill the season ahead run cold or mild? NOAA's outlook plus snowfall normals and live snow depth.Washington 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.Washington 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