Daily low temperature records are being smashed in the western half of the U.S. as states from Michigan to California experience wintry weather.
Meteorologist Ryan Maue tweeted Monday that "record low temperatures are covering the map with a major cold front blasting through the Rockies to the Mississippi River."
Southern Colorado saw its first cold blast of the season, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Temperatures plummeted Sunday evening and snow began to fall. Freezing weather is expected to rebound somewhat over the next couple days.
Four feet of snow fell across the Himalayan Range during the dry season trapping climbers and trekkers and cutting off villages and towns for the remainder of the winter. Canada had early arrival of sea ice blocking off ports for the remainder of the winter and is now air lifting in 600,000 litres of fuel and tons of food. Roads in USA closed for the winter a month early as record snow blankets the Rocky Mountain states and it is only early October.
Shaded is where at least light snow cover was analyzed across the United States and Canada on the morning of Oct. 15.
Snow is Covering More of North America Than Usual for October
Meteorologist Heather Tesch looks at the snow in October.
It's covering more of North America than it has at this time in over a decade.
Early fall has already brought plenty of winter weather to parts of North America, pushing the continent to its largest snow cover extent for mid-October in more than a decade.
The area covered by snow in North America as of Sunday was 7.77 million square kilometers (3 million square miles), according to an analysis from NOAA. No other Oct. 14 has had a snow cover extent that large in records dating to 2005.
Winter weather is creeping in early this year as snow storm advisories are issued across eight states.
Snow continues to fall in parts of the Rocky Mountains, blanketing Colorado, western Kansas and northern New Mexico reaching up to 12 inches in some areas.
Winter weather warnings are issued in five other states, including Nebraska, Wyoming and Montana through early Monday as forecasters predict heavy snowfall.
While the east coast is experiencing its first refreshingly cool fall weather, the Plains and Rockies are in for a blast of Arctic air that are bringing record lows.
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Tony Marshall tours CTV's Alesia Fieldberg through his field of wheat near Aldersyde as he awaits an opportunity to finish harvesting
Farmers across the province continue to be challenged by the cold, wet weather of late as most of their crops remain in the fields.
Based on annual averages over the last five years, approximately 80 per cent of crops should have been harvested by this time. This year, only 40 per cent of harvesting has been completed.
Tony Marshall's wheat on Highwood Crossing Farm near Aldersyde remains in rows weeks after it was cut. "It's certainly not dry enough yet," explained Marshall. "We want to get it down to 14 per cent (moisture)."
Tony Marshall tours CTV's Alesia Fieldberg through his field of wheat near Aldersyde as he awaits an opportunity to finish harvesting
Marshall sees little reason for optimism on his combining prospects in the coming days. "The forecast is looking at more snow and moisture in the next couple days so we are definitely running out of time."
Heavy, wet snow fell across the Dakotas and Minnesota on Wednesday, Oct. 10, further delaying harvest and possibly damaging crops.
"Harvest will be a real challenge," said Brian Bjork of Forman, N.D.
Even before the snow started falling, harvest already had been delayed by days of wet weather.But with some places reporting more than a foot of snow, it could be weeks until combines roll through the fields again.
Bjork had at least 8 inches of wet snow on his soybeans. He opened up his first field Sept. 28, and most of the low areas were still green. It's been wet ever since, he said.
The first significant snow of the season has dumped as much as 17 inches in parts of eastern North Dakota.
School buses are running 2 hours behind Thursday as drivers deal with the slippery roads. The National Weather Service says the highest snow totals are in Finley at 17 inches, in Hannaford at 16.5 inches and a little more than 14 inches west of Hope.
Grand Forks set a record snowfall for the date at 5.7 inches.
The state Department of Transportation and the North Dakota Highway Patrol issued a "no travel advisory" for parts of eastern North Dakota on Wednesday evening due to snow and ice-covered roads and reduced visibility.
The advisory included Jamestown, Valley City, Edgeley, Ellendale, Oakes, Cooperstown, Michigan, Larimore and surrounding areas. That advisory was lifted Thursday morning.
Utah ski resorts got at least 10 inches of snow between Tuesday and Wednesday — some as much as one foot at the base.
At Brighton, Marketing Manager Jared Winkler said there was nearly two feet of snow at mid mountain.
While that generates a lot of excitement for ski season, it's too soon to know when Brighton will open officially.
"It could warm up in November, so we will keep our fingers crossed," he said, recalling one year the resort opened by Halloween.
While the resort is not officially open, the parking lot was full with visitors enjoying sledding or the "Bone Zone," which is an area open to boarders and skiers.
Comment: Note that prior to this latest snowfall event over the 9th/10th of October, another early season storm over the 7th/8th had already dumped nearly 2 feet of snow at Brian Head Resort, Utah.
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Comment: In relation to the above, review also this information: North American snow cover is the most it's been in Mid-October in 13 years
Winter came early this year! Snow warnings are issued across EIGHT states as the Rockies brace for record-cold temperatures and a foot of snow