Snow, some love it, some hate it. In Omaha, the "snow season" begins in November and lasts through March, although snow has happened as early as October (check out the snowstorms that slammed Omaha in 1997 and 1991) and as late as May before. On average, the first measurable snowfall in Omaha is mid-November.
However, did you know that it has snowed in September before in Omaha, and somewhat recently? On September 29, 1985, the city was stunned as snow fell and accumulated. It was not much, but it was enough to cause wonder. In this installment of This Week in Weather History, the conditions that made snowfall in September possible in Omaha as well as the impact of the snow.
HOW DID IT SNOW IN SEPTEMBER?
One of the main reasons why it does not snow in September in Omaha is simple, it rarely gets that cold enough. Since record-keeping began, there have only been around 40 times that temperatures have dipped below the mid-30s in Omaha, which is cold enough for snow. Most of these came with the moisture source was already gone.
This was not the case in 1985. The day before, September 28, an arctic cold front swept through much of the Midwest. Behind this front was a blast of arctic air in the 20s and 30s. Hard freezes killed off crops and plants in the days before the snow, unusual in late September. Once the front went through Omaha, temperatures held in the mid-30s through the night of the 28th into the 29th.
However, the front did not move farther south and stalled over Kansas and Missouri. This allowed moisture to overrun the front and create precipitation across eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. Since the air was cold enough, it fell as snow along and north of I-80. South of I-80, any precipitation remained focused as rain.
THE FIRST SEPTEMBER SNOW
It must have felt weird when the rain changed to snow on September 29th. As the roads were still warm, no snow accumulated, thankfully removing any travel headaches it may have caused. It did however accumulate on grassy surfaces and tree branches. By the next day, most of the snow had melted. It did not create much impact beyond providing a surreal sight in September.
Officially, Eppley Airfield picked up 0.3" of snow, as did much of the Omaha metro. However, the snow was heavier to the west. The winner was David City, where 5" of snow was recorded! Children even had enough snow in Butler County to create snowmen and have snowball fights!
Despite the strange occurrence, it showed to all that when the conditions are right, it can snow any time of year!
