The Day The Temperature Rose 103 Degrees

Ah, September. The kids are back in school. Football weekends return. Baseball's pennant races heat up.

Sometimes, it even snows. 

(FLASHBACK: Calgary's Destructive September Snow 2014)

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While the first three weeks of September are still officially summer, there are several locations in the U.S. where September snow occurs just often enough to not be considered a freak event. 

Most of these locations are in the mountains, but not all of them. 

We scoured through National Weather Service 30-year average snowfall data to find first-order observing stations which average at least 0.1 inch of snow in September, including parts of New England, the Great Lakes, Plains, Rockies, West and Alaska. 

Other locations have picked up September snow in their history, but just not frequently enough to register a 30-year average of greater than a trace. We've listed some of those cities in our "other September notables" section below the regional charts. Data from Mt. Washington, New Hampshire, was provided by the Mount Washington Observatory.

(MORE: When the First Snow of the Season Typically Falls)

Rockies

It is no surprise that many locations of the Rockies have often experienced snow in September. Some locations in western Montana and central Colorado see the first measurable snow on average in September.

West

The Washington Cascades usually see the first snow of the season in September, but even areas that typically wait until later in the fall have picked up measurable snow in September.

Alaska

As expected, snow in September is fairly common in parts of northern and interior Alaska.

Midwest

The average first measurable snow of the season for areas from western Nebraska into North Dakota, northern Minnesota and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan usually takes place in October. Much of the Midwest, however, waits until November on average for the first flakes to accumulate. However, snow does occur in September from time-to-time.

Northeast

The mountains of New England, the Adirondacks, and the higher elevations of northwestern Pennsylvania and the central Appalachians receive the first measurable snow of the season in October on average, but some locations in these areas have seen snow in September. The remainder of the region usually waits until November or December for the first accumulating snowfall.

Other September Snow-tables

• Minneapolis/St. Paul: Measurable snow as early as Sep. 24, 1985 (0.4 inches). Also picked up 1.7 inches on Sep. 26, 1942.
• Omaha, Nebraska: Picked up 0.3 inches of snow on Sep. 29, 1985.
• Amarillo, Texas: Once snowed 0.3 inches on Sep. 29, 1984.
• Kenton, Oklahoma: This panhandle town measured 3 inches of snow on Sep. 18, 1971, five days before summer officially ended.
• Salt Lake City: Four inches of snow fell on Sep. 30, 1971. 
• Flagstaff, Arizona: Two inches of snow fell on Sep. 19, 1965.
• Reno, Nevada: Picked up 1.5 inches of snow on Sep. 29, 1982.

(MORE: The Record Earliest First Snow Where You Live | 10 Shocking Snow Cities)