Discover the 8 States that Get the Most October Snow

Most people visualize themselves carving pumpkins, raking leaves, and putting on a warm sweater when they think about October. Although October is certainly an autumn month, there are some places that, unseasonably, get snow. We’ve compiled a list of those states that experience a slice of winter in the fall. Read on to discover the eight states that get the most October snow.

What Conditions Are Best For Snow?

At high elevations, air temperature drops off, resulting in frigid conditions on land surfaces. The clouds and snow on mountaintops form when moist winds blow toward and over mountains. Therefore the higher the elevation of a place, the more likely it is to get snowfall.

When looking at each state’s October snowfall totals, we need to remember that states can vary drastically in geography and climate from one county to another. Therefore, a whole state may not get much snowfall, but part or parts of it might. For that reason, we will be looking at states with one or more areas within it that get the most snowfall in October.

1. Upper Peninsula, Michigan

Michigan’s Upper Michigan has one of the largest snow belts in the country. From the Porcupine Mountains in the western county of Ontonagon, MI, and the Keweenaw Peninsula to Whitefish Point in the eastern corner of Chippewa County, lake-effect snow is a continuous reality.

What does lake effect mean, and what does it have to do with snowfall? Well, much of the Upper Peninsula belongs to the Lake Superior watershed. Lake Superior, itself, is too big and deep to freeze over completely during the winter. As a result, cold air flows over the comparatively warm open lake water. This then causes precipitation, such as snow, to fall in larger amounts.

The Keweenaw Peninsula averages more snowfall annually than any location east of the Mississippi River. However, it’s the more centrally-located city of Marquette, MI, that has an October snowfall average of 6.4 inches and a 2020 October snowfall record of 19.2 inches. Residents of Marquette are never surprised to get some snow in October. In fact, most Marquette and other U.P. residents opt to buy Halloween costumes that will be large enough to fit over a snowsuit!

2. Great Falls, Montana

Most of us know Montana as the expansive, beautiful state known as “Big Sky Country.” Great Falls is one of the state’s most breathtaking cities with its scenic views of the Missouri River and several imposing waterfalls. Lying so close to the Rocky Mountains gives the town its great vistas. However, the 3,323-foot elevation makes it likely to have snowfall earlier than many other lower-altitude cities.

Montana’s weather can be unpredictable, changing from mild fall weather to freezing temperatures with snowfall overnight. In 2020, Grand Falls saw a record 27.7 inches of snowfall in October. Though this isn’t common, the city does average an October snowfall total of 4.4 inches.

3. Denver, Colorado

Although Denver, CO, doesn’t lie along the coast, it still receives its moisture from the Pacific Ocean. When the moisture gets to the Rockies near Denver, it mixes with the mountains to give the air its vertical motion — or its lift. If a storm front passes or various air masses converge, that provides the final ingredient for the recipe for snow — instability. Hence, snow falls and can easily accumulate.

Even though Denver isn’t situated right in the Rockies, the city is only 12 miles away from the foothills. The mountains often get the deepest snow from the storms that occur southeast of Colorado. They create easterly winds that can cause a disturbance that ensures snowfall.

The average October snowfall in Denver is 4.4 inches. However, the most recent record-breaking one-day October snowfall was in 1997 on October 24 -25. On that day, 21.9 inches of snow fell in a 24-hour period. Stunningly, further back in 1921, the town of Silver Lake — 40 miles northeast of Denver — had a pummeling of 75.8 inches of snow in 24 hours!

4. Duluth, Minnesota

The year 2020 seems to have been a snowy one for several states. Minnesota is no exception. In fact, it was that year when Duluth was hit with 9 inches of snow on October 20. The snowstorm was a result of a low-pressure area moving in mixed with a lot of moisture and cold air. Duluth was lashed with heavy snowfall by the middle of that afternoon.

Typically, Duluth, MN, will see an average of 2.1 inches of snowfall in October. Nevertheless, the 2020 anomaly was one of four that the area has experienced since the 1930s. With climate change creating more frequent and severe weather disturbances, Duluth could be in store for even more of these October snowfalls.

5. Flagstaff, Arizona

Most people don’t picture snow when they think about Arizona. Yet, Flagstaff, AZ, sits at an elevation of 6,910 feet, giving it an average of 100 inches of snow each winter. Surprisingly, Flagstaff residents usually see their first snowfall in October.

The annual average snowfall in Flagstaff is 28.66 inches over an average of 30 non-consecutive days. In October, it gets an average of 1.8 inches of snow. Way back in 1895, the city was blanketed in 126 inches of snow in January. Thankfully, that was a rare and, most likely, unwelcome occurrence.

6. Rapid City, South Dakota

Nestled in the foothills of the Black Hills, Rapid City, SD, has an elevation of 3,356 feet. From the city, you can see the highest peak east of the Rockies — Black Elk Peak — with an elevation of 7,242 feet. That cold, high-altitude air creates the ideal conditions for October snow in Rapid City.

Most residents who lived through it can still vividly remember the October 2013 historic blizzard. From the fifth to the sixth of that month, Rapid City was left with 14.5 inches of snowfall that blew in with 50 to 70 mph winds. Thankfully, the average October snowfall for this city is a much more tolerable 1.6 inches.

7. Caribou, Maine

The summer months in the coastal city of Caribou, ME, are quite lovely. With temperatures typically ranging from the mid-to-high 60s to the mid-seventies, the city is the perfect climate to enjoy the charming city and its stunning ocean view. However, when October rolls around, the weather takes its most drastic downward slide of the year.

The change in temperature isn’t the only thing October brings. It also brings snowfall. The average snowfall in October is about 1.6 inches. However, in October of 1963, Caribou was clobbered with a total snowfall of 12.1 inches. In 1970, it had a one-day snowfall of over 4 inches on October 3rd.

8. Salt Lake City, Utah

With the Wasatch Mountain Range to the east and the Oquirrh Mountains to the west, Salt Lake City itself has an average elevation of 4,210 feet. In addition to the high altitude, the proximity of the Great Salt Lake produces lake-effect snow in the city due to its warmth. That warmth of the open water is what provides the air-lifting mechanism and destabilizing ingredient that causes convection. Hence, October snowfall isn’t a rare occurrence by any means.

Salt Lake City is no stranger to October snow. In fact, in 2021, some Utah cities recorded snowfalls as high as 67 inches for that month. Thankfully, though, those are anomalies. The average October snowfall for that city is 1.4 inches under normal circumstances.

Summary Table of the 8 States That Get the Most October Snow