Data shows snow on the ground in September is rare for Calgary

It may come as a surprise to Calgarians, but snow in September really isn’t all that ordinary — even in a city that is known for its weird weather.

According to weatherstats.ca, YYC has only experienced snow on the ground once in the past decade. Though when it did hit, it hit hard.

September 2014 was the last time snow was seen on the ground in Calgary, accumulating to a total of 10 cm before melting away in the snowless October that followed.

That 10 cm may very well be beaten by this weekend’s snowfall, as The Weather Network is predicting up to 12 cm for the City of Calgary, and upwards of 60 cm for other areas of southern Alberta.

• See also:
• The Weather Network just doubled its snowfall forecast for Calgary
• Snow is in the forecast for the first weekend of fall in Calgary
• Here’s what the City of Calgary is planning to do about the incoming snowfall

Looking a little further back in time does net the curious data-delver a few more September snowfalls in Alberta’s most populace city, though they remain few and far between — with much less snowfall than 2014, or what we’re expected to see in the coming days.

September 2003 saw 5 cm on the ground before an equally snowy October, while September 2002 saw just 1 cm stick.

September 2000 had 2 cm while 1996 saw 1 cm, breaking an 11-year snowless (in September, that is) streak that had gone on since the early snowfalls of 1984 and 1985, which saw 3 and 2 cm on the ground, respectively.

That’s just seven instances of September snow on the ground in Calgary over 40 years, meaning that while this weekend’s weather may not be entirely out of left field, it’s definitely going to be one for the history books.