WeatherFanatics: PHOTOS: 'Snowtember' Whitens Montana to South Dakota

Thursday, September 11, 2014

PHOTOS: 'Snowtember' Whitens Montana to South Dakota

By Marielena Balouris, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer

September 11,2014; 9:09PM,EDT

Heavy snowfall Wednesday night and Thursday morning covered parts of Montana, Wyoming and western South Dakota.
As of Thursday morning, up to 7 inches accumulated on portions of the Black Hills in South Dakota, and Cut Bank and Lewistown in Montana had their first snowfall of the season. The early snowfall has caused over 30,000 power outages in Calgary, Alberta, and threatens to cause power outages in the Midwest.
AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said "Many times when we see an outbreak like this, this early in the season, it doesn't last and will go back to normal pretty quickly."
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This heavy snowfall is not unprecedented, but it came early because of a cold air building in the Arctic. Residents of the affected areas are more likely to see weather like this in late October and early November.
Because the early winter weather is not expected to last, ski season will not be starting anytime soon.

Snow whitens Cut Bank, Mont., on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2014. The AccuWeather fan who snapped this photo nicknamed the event "Snowtember." (Photo/mikeyg733)