When does Indianapolis usually get its first snow? – Indianapolis News | Indiana Weather | Indiana traffic

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Halloween in central Indiana will look a lot different than last year.

In two of the last five Halloweens, Indianapolis had some of the first snowflakes of the year that weren’t measurable on the ground. This might make you curious about when our typical first snowfall is. History gives us an idea.

First snow statistics

According to 1991-2020 climate averageIndianapolis has a normal first measurable snow date of November 24th.

Last year it was a decent wait for the snow to stick to the ground and be considered measurable. Indy didn’t have anything measurable until December 31st, which is one of the latest first snows on record.

At least an inch of snow is where we usually see major impacts from any system. From 1991-2020, the average date of the first snowfall greater than or equal to an inch from a single system was on December 8.

Many will remember the surprise snow at the beginning of the season in October 1989, which totaled over 9 inches. October 18, 1989 holds the distinction of the earliest measurable snow on record. Meanwhile, October 19, 1989 is our earliest blizzard of an inch or greater on records stretching back to the 1880s.

There hasn’t been a single winter where Indianapolis didn’t have a 1″+ snowstorm, but some years it was close. The winter of 1972-73 did not have the first 1″+ from a system until March 17, 1973.

You can always find the latest weather forecast by visiting our weather blog here.