Winter is creeping ever closer and nature has been really weird this October in it’s distribution of cold and arrival of it’s first snows. While many parts of Alaska patiently await their first snow, parts of Texas have already seen the white stuff.

Alaska sweats while Texas shivers!

After the warmest September on record for much of western Alaska, parts of the state remain exceptionally mild and snowless through mid October.

An unusually persistent ridge has led to this unusual warmth for Alaska.

https://twitter.com/NOAAClimate/status/1051842670576963584

https://twitter.com/AlaskaWx/status/1052562799983902720

https://twitter.com/Climatologist49/status/1050840278892855296

In stark contrast, it was a top 10 coldest September and it’s been the coldest first half to October on record for Regina, Winnipeg and parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota.

What a variation of extremes through October’s first 15 days…

Warmest for most of Alaska, coldest for parts of North Dakota, warmest for Gulf Coast Texas as much of the East.

https://twitter.com/weatherlogics/status/1052568640103563264

https://twitter.com/robsobs/status/1052258131663835137

https://twitter.com/weatherlogics/status/1050848598823510022

A southward punch of arctic air making it all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico, several cities witnessed their coldest temperatures for so early in the season.

While Fairbanks awaits their first snow (average 1st snow is Sept 27), Wichita and Kansas City, MO have been observed their earliest snow since records began in the late 1800s.

Despite a snowless Alaska and record warm east, we’re looking at the greatest snow cover extent across North America for the time of year in at least 13 years.

A high of 49 in Dallas was the earliest sub-50 high by a full week, surpassing Oct 22, 1936.

https://twitter.com/bhensonweather/status/1051918562539917312

According to the Southeast Regional Climate Center, the past few days have been as cold as any on record for the time of year from the Montana-South Dakota border to South Texas.

While record cold in West Texas, it was record warm in Florida.

First snows…

https://twitter.com/Supervike13/status/1051517344915148801

https://twitter.com/chris_sowers/status/1051495694052274179

https://twitter.com/Eweather13/status/1051496003289927681

https://twitter.com/WGME/status/1051217187896258561

https://twitter.com/cannonmountain/status/1051132213373411329

https://twitter.com/GirlGopher/status/1051536166892306433

https://twitter.com/charlesphaire/status/1051552602633195520

https://twitter.com/TohruMills13/status/1051563369864617986

Tags: first snow, New England snow, record cold october, record october warmth