When will the first snow be in Asheville, NC? What NOAA records show

With fall on the way, many Western North Carolina residents and visitors alike are already eagerly awaiting snow. With the official start of fall less than a week away, multiple publications and weather groups have already made winter weather forecasts. The Citizen Times has previously reported on s

Weather Watch

SEE ALL

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Farmer's Almanac winter forecast 2026-27: What New York can expect

1Weather

Atlantic hurricane season hits record low activity

1Weather

Waterspout forms off Hilton Head Island coast

What is the story about?

With fall on the way, many Western North Carolina residents and visitors alike are already eagerly awaiting snow.

With the official start of fall less than a week away, multiple publications and weather groups have already made winter weather forecasts. The Citizen Times has previously reported on several such predictions, including those from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

, the Old Farmer's Almanac and more.

In addition to regular long-range forecasts, NOAA keeps a log of climate records between 1869 and the present. NOAA records kept in the Asheville area include a number of weather elements, from average temperatures and snowfall to extreme cases.

As Western N.C. awaits the beginning of the fall season, here's what to expect

when it comes to snowfall this winter in Asheville.

First snow of the year in Asheville, Western NC

NOAA records on data between 1869-2025 found that November is the first month during which snow is likely to be recorded. Earlier snows are rare, with only 5.1 total inches of snow recorded during October in the Asheville area since 1869.

How much did it snow last year in Asheville, NC?

During the 2025-2026 fall and winter seasons, the following amounts of snow were recorded in Asheville by NOAA:

November - .2 inches
December - 0 inches
January - 4.2 inches
February - 1 inch

How much does it snow in Asheville, NC?

According to NOAA records between 1869 and 2025, amounts of snow by month, according to climate normals, are:

November - .1 inches
December - .9 inches
January - 4.1 inches
February - 2.2 inches
March - 1.9 inches
April - .9 inches

Asheville, Western NC snowfall map

The Greenville/Spartanburg NOAA office, which makes predictions and keeps records for Western N.C., Upstate South Carolina and several counties in Georgia, also provides an average annual snowfall map based on 30 years of climatology.

Average annual snowfall in the Greenville/Spartanburg NOAA office's forecast range.