# How far north would I need to travel in North America to see midsummer snow? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 1, 2011, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-north-would-i-need-to-travel-in-north-america-to-see-midsummer-snow/583984 "2011-06-01T17:43:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-north-would-i-need-to-travel-in-north-america-to-see-midsummer-snow/583984/1 "2011-06-01T17:43:49Z")
How far north on the North American continent (i.e. either in the United States or Canada) would I need to travel to see snow in midsummer? ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-north-would-i-need-to-travel-in-north-america-to-see-midsummer-snow/583984/2 "2011-06-01T17:48:30Z")
[Well, depends on the frequency](http://climate.umn.edu/doc/journal/july_snow.htm) > [@](#): > > As it stands right now the latest recorded measurable snow in Minnesota remains at 1.5 inches at Mizpah in Koochiching County on June 4, 1935 and the earliest documented snow in Minnesota is a trace that fell at the Duluth Airport on August 31, 1949. Or are you looking for better odds? ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-north-would-i-need-to-travel-in-north-america-to-see-midsummer-snow/583984/3 "2011-06-01T18:00:48Z")
I can see midsummer snow from my house in Western Montana… Parts of the Rockies are snow capped all year long. ---
**Author:** ![bizerta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@bizerta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizerta)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-north-would-i-need-to-travel-in-north-america-to-see-midsummer-snow/583984/4 "2011-06-01T18:00:50Z")
I remember seeing snow outside my Montreal hotel room in early August. It was a freak squall and the snow never reached the ground 200 feet below. The early morning outside temperature was around 60F (11C). I saw plenty of snow in Yellowstone in mid-June once. Pikes Peak, Colorado, claims that snow is possible any time of year. Altitude is more of a factor than latitude. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-north-would-i-need-to-travel-in-north-america-to-see-midsummer-snow/583984/5 "2011-06-01T18:01:12Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > How far north on the North American continent (i.e. either in the United States or Canada) would I need to travel to see snow in midsummer? You want to see it snow? Or see snow on the ground. I currently have both. Though it has not snowed since Monday. Still have plenty on the ground though. 39.3 degrees north. Elevation 11,200 feet. Central Colorado. We can get snow any month of the year at this elevation. We’ll will have snow on the ground in the shady areas till July. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-north-would-i-need-to-travel-in-north-america-to-see-midsummer-snow/583984/6 "2011-06-01T18:02:31Z")
It’s not so much about how far _north_ you travel, but how far _up_. There are dozens (if not hundreds) of peaks in the lower 48 with year-round snow caps. Shasta in Northern California is the southernmost that I can think of off the top of my head. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-north-would-i-need-to-travel-in-north-america-to-see-midsummer-snow/583984/7 "2011-06-01T18:04:13Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > It’s not so much about how far _north_ you travel, but how far _up_. There are dozens (if not hundreds) of peaks in the lower 48 with year-round snow caps. Shasta in Northern California is the southernmost that I can think of off the top of my head. Thanks! I guess what I meant was how far north would I need to go where snow is commonly on the ground everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-north-would-i-need-to-travel-in-north-america-to-see-midsummer-snow/583984/8 "2011-06-01T18:08:14Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > Thanks! > > I guess what I meant was how far north would I need to go where snow is commonly on the ground everywhere. You can still see icepack in places like Kotzebue and Nome in mid “summer”. I’ve been as far north as Prudhoe Bay in summer, which is about as far north as you can get in the US, and there was no snow on the ground. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-north-would-i-need-to-travel-in-north-america-to-see-midsummer-snow/583984/9 "2011-06-01T18:08:18Z")
By _everywhere_, do you mean for an area of 100 square km or for an area of 1000 sq km? To be certain of seeing snow on the ground at ordinary lowland altitudes this time of year, you’d probably have to go to the Arctic Circle. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-north-would-i-need-to-travel-in-north-america-to-see-midsummer-snow/583984/10 "2011-06-01T18:13:54Z")
I had a snowball fight with my brother in July on pikes peak. There was also some snow on San jacinto last week when we went to palm springs. ---
**Author:** ![Implicit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Implicit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Implicit)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-north-would-i-need-to-travel-in-north-america-to-see-midsummer-snow/583984/11 "2011-06-01T18:14:44Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > I guess what I meant was how far north would I need to go where snow is commonly on the ground everywhere. As people have noted, it’s the wrong question, altitude matters more than latitude. I’d also describe the snow capped peaks in the Rocky Mountains as glaciers than rather than snow. Plenty of tourists come to the [Columbia Icefields](http://www.explorerockies.com/columbia-icefield/) in the Banff and Jasper National Parks in the summer months, specifically for the novelty of walking on “snow”, but you’ll find glaciers in the US portions of the Rockies as well. I’ve seen snow on the ground in Calgary in every month of the year, so it’s probably the largest city that might meet your requirement, but only once a decade or so. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-north-would-i-need-to-travel-in-north-america-to-see-midsummer-snow/583984/12 "2011-06-01T19:04:57Z")
> [@Mr\_Downtown](#): > > By _everywhere_, do you mean for an area of 100 square km or for an area of 1000 sq km? To be certain of seeing snow on the ground at ordinary lowland altitudes this time of year, you’d probably have to go to the Arctic Circle. Nope. The Arctic Circle is way too far south. There aren’t any permanent ice fields at sea level in mainland North America, you’d have to go to Ellesmore or Baffin Islands, or head for the mountains. I’ve seen patches of snow/ice a couple of square meters in July when it was 80 degrees in Fairbanks Alaska, in shadowed protected areas. But even on the North Slope in summer there aren’t any snowfields. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-north-would-i-need-to-travel-in-north-america-to-see-midsummer-snow/583984/13 "2011-06-01T19:11:01Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > Thanks! > > I guess what I meant was how far north would I need to go where snow is commonly on the ground everywhere. _Commonly_ and outside of mountain tops? Nowhere. Out of curiousity, where did you get the idea that any part of north America has mid-summer snow “on the ground everywhere”? 😕 A book, show, or movie? Or did someone just tell you this was a common occurrence? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-north-would-i-need-to-travel-in-north-america-to-see-midsummer-snow/583984/14 "2011-06-01T19:22:15Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > _Commonly_ and outside of mountain tops? Nowhere. > > Out of curiousity, where did you get the idea that any part of north America has mid-summer snow “on the ground everywhere”? 😕 A book, show, or movie? Or did someone just tell you this was a common occurrence? Maybe he watches South Park. It is always snowing there but it takes place in the Colorado Rockies. They did have a day of summer once but Cartman and the gang didn’t know what to do with themselves so they made a mudman. ---
**Author:** ![Nunavut\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e95f7d/32.png) [@Nunavut\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunavut_Boy)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-north-would-i-need-to-travel-in-north-america-to-see-midsummer-snow/583984/15 "2011-06-01T19:54:33Z")
Well, there’s still snow on the ground here (Iqaluit), though it is mostly gone. My last snowmobile trip for the season was 2 weeks ago. The bay will stay frozen until July. I’m not aware of any towns in Nunavut that have snow year-round; you’d probably have to go near the north pole for that. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-north-would-i-need-to-travel-in-north-america-to-see-midsummer-snow/583984/16 "2011-06-01T20:59:47Z")
BTW, the furthest south glaciers in North America are in [Mexico.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_glaciers_in_Mexico) ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-north-would-i-need-to-travel-in-north-america-to-see-midsummer-snow/583984/17 "2011-06-02T01:31:05Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > BTW, the furthest south glaciers in North America are in [Mexico.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_glaciers_in_Mexico) Is it just me or do all tall mountains look like they are about 500 feet tall from a distance? I take yearly vacations to Colorado and I never can wrap my head around the fact that that there is snow at the top of the mountains and quite warm where I am because IT IS JUST RIGHT THERE! ---
**Author:** ![DHMO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@DHMO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DHMO)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-north-would-i-need-to-travel-in-north-america-to-see-midsummer-snow/583984/18 "2011-06-02T01:47:41Z")
[Rocky Mountain National Park](http://www.rmnp.com/Index.HTML) has [Trail Ridge Road](http://www.rmnp.com/RMNP-Areas-TrailRidge.HTML), which crosses the Continental Divide, reaching an altitude of 12,183 feet. They usually don’t plow the snow all the way until Memorial Day (this year, next week, June 7 or later) so until late July there is usually several feet of snow in fields stretching over thousands of acres of hillsides. Driving through cuts in the snow 8-10 feet deep in mid-summer is kinda fun, and on shaded, North-facing slopes snow stays around all summer. ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-north-would-i-need-to-travel-in-north-america-to-see-midsummer-snow/583984/19 "2011-06-02T02:09:15Z")
Well, it didn’t stick to the roads, but it snowed all morning last Sunday here…and I’m not even in _northern_ Idaho. I am, though, at about 5800 feet. They’re calling for snow showers tonight and tomorrow morning. It’s raining now but is supposed to get below freezing tonight. It’s June. That late enough for ya? 🙂 (What’s really funny are the people coming to golf who bitch about the weather…ah, do you not know where the game was invented?) ---
**Author:** ![Dano83860](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a4c791/32.png) [@Dano83860](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dano83860)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-north-would-i-need-to-travel-in-north-america-to-see-midsummer-snow/583984/20 "2011-06-02T03:55:05Z")
Mammoth Mountain in So Cal used to have Fourth of July ski races. I’d be willing to bet they have snow on the ground year round. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-north-would-i-need-to-travel-in-north-america-to-see-midsummer-snow/583984.md?page=2)