You heard it here first. A few snowflakes are expected for parts of Western New York by the end of this week. On the anniversary of the 2006 ‘October Storm’, it is more than ironic.

What You Need To Know

  • Snow is expected for some at the end of this week

  • This is not uncommon for the south towns but is in Buffalo

  • Buffalo's 1st flakes happen around October 24th

  • The latest ever snowfall happened in 1946 and 1985 on November 22nd

Wet snow is in the forecast for the higher elevations south of Buffalo toward the end of the week. That however got me thinking. When will the city see its first snow?

The answer isn’t clear just yet. For the time being, the weather models we look at aren't showing snow for the city in the near-term.

On average, the Buffalo Airport sees its first snowflakes on October 24th. The first measurable snow, which is qualified as 0.1” of snow or more, occurs on November 8th. The first full 1” of snow typically falls on November 18th. 

As a reminder, this is not that far away!

But just because that’s the average doesn’t mean it can’t happen sooner OR later. Records have been kept since 1884 through the 2019-2020 season. 

The earliest ever flakes at the airport came on September, 20 1956. The first 1” of snow came on October 6, 1991 and over 1” of snow on October 10, 1906.

The latest snowflakes have ever fallen in Buffalo happened on November 22nd in both 1946 and 1985. The latest 1+” of snow happened on December 18, 2015 (you might remember this one!) In 1932 Western New Yorkers had to wait until January 2!

As we get closer it’s important to remember your winter driving safety tips. Experts say that the first snow of the season can cause major problems on the road as people readjust to poor driving conditions.

As our first snow approaches you can ditch using cruise control, make sure you’re not tailgating others, and above all else – slow down!