NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information
The two satellite-derived images above show the daily snow cover across the Northern Hemisphere (left map) and North America (right map) throughout October 2006. The maps show small amounts of snow cover on October 1st, illustrating the beginning of the snow pack in the northern latitudes. By clicking on the images, the gradual expansion of snow and ice cover is shown to increase throughout the month across much of Siberia as well as parts of Alaska and Canada. Snow events in the U.S. are evident in the Rockies and northern tier states throughout the month of October, yet snow cover is short-lived. Buffalo, NY set a new record for daily October snowfall when 8.6 inches of snow fell on the 12th. This was the snowiest October day in Buffalo's 136-year history. The following day, 14 inches of snow fell, breaking this new record. Snowfall accumulations caused widespread power outages across the area. See the Buffalo NWS webpage for additional information on this storm.
More information on significant winter weather and other hazards can be found on NCDC's Hazards page.
The map to the left depicts the snow water equivalent (SWE) as a percent of normal for the western U.S. as of November 1st. Much of Colorado and parts of Montana reported more than 160% of normal SWE for this time of year. Smaller patches of above normal SWE were also reported in Idaho, Wyoming and Utah. Several snow events impacted the central Rockies during October, which allowed ski resorts to open earlier than usual. In contrast, the absence of snow in the Intermountain Basin, the Cascades and the Sierras is also evident from the map. Additional information on October severe winter weather can also be found on NCDC's Hazards page.