Chilling Thought: What's the Earliest Date its Snowed in S. Falls

Are you like me? You woke up this morning, looked out the window, and said, "Oh, great, it snowed!" Swell! Although to be honest, I didn't use that exact word.

I know it was only a dusting, but it's still snow, and we haven't even carved the Thanksgiving Day turkey yet.

If you can't tell, I am not a big fan of the snow and cold weather months.

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South Dakota Winter Blues: Reflections On Early Snow In Sioux Falls

Probably because the cold weather months in South Dakota always seem to creep along, that's because Jack Frost likes to nip at your nose for a good 6 months in this state most years.

I guess we should consider ourselves lucky that it's taken this long to snow. Lord knows there have been plenty of years when Old Man Winter has already reared his ugly head by Halloween.

Speaking of early snowfalls, I did a little checking, and the earliest measurable snowfall Sioux Falls has ever seen happened on September 25, 1939. On that date, it snowed 0.2 inches.

The second earliest snowfall recorded in Sioux Falls occurred on September 29, 1985. On that particular date, Sioux Falls received 0.9 inches of snow.

It's not uncommon for Sioux Falls to have snow on the ground by Halloween. As you might imagine, that can make for some really long ass winters during the years when that happens.

According to the National Weather Service, the Sioux Empire usually gets its first measurable amount of snow anywhere between November 1 through the 10th.

So, I guess I should quit my bitching, at least we beat that again this year by 10 days.

I need to keep reminding myself, that with every passing day, we get a little bit closer to spring and warmer weather.

Who knows, maybe this year we'll get lucky like we did back in March of 2000. On March 7 of that year, the temperature in Sioux Falls topped out at 80 degrees.

That sounds like heaven right now, considering the temp in Sioux Falls as I write this story is a balmy 29 degrees, with a windchill of 15 degrees.

What's really scary, in a few weeks that's gonna seem warm!

Source: National Weather Service

10 Wild South Dakota Snowstorms

Even though snow is blanketing the Sioux Empire, some snowstorms still do not compare to these ten dreadful snowstorms that hit South Dakota.

Only In Your State highlighted ten snowstorms in South Dakota as a reminder for people to always be aware of the road during the winter. South Dakotans are well aware of the fact that the state’s winters can be harsh which is why it is always a good idea to plan ahead and prepare for the worst.

Do you remember any major snowstorms that hit South Dakota?

Gallery Credit: KXRB

The Coldest Temperatures in Sioux Falls History

When a polar vortex rolls through Sioux Falls, it can get even the heartiest dreaming of indoor fires, baking, and hot chocolate.

Mr. Bendo is tough enough but for the love of Pete, someone put a scarf on the Statue of David!

All this icy chatter had us wondering about the coldest days ever recorded in Sioux Falls. Here is the historical data from the National Weather Service with the coldest temps ever recorded in Sioux Falls since record-keeping began in 1893.

Gallery Credit: Danny V