National Weather ServiceSnow Squall WarningVTEC SQ.WArchive to October 1, 2026
Snow Squall Warning: what it means and how often it is issued
The National Weather Service issued 316 snow squall warnings in 2025 and 222 a year on average in 2018-2025; Pennsylvania, New York and Colorado got the most in 2021-2025. 2026 through September: 341, 137% above the average of 144 for those months in 2008-2025.
What is a snow squall warning?
A warning means the hazard is happening, about to happen, or very likely: act now to protect people and property. The National Weather Service office for each area sets the criteria for this product with its partners.
Source: National Weather Service directives and glossary.
How many snow squall warnings a year?
National count: each snow squall warning counted once, whatever the number of states it covers. 2026 is an outline: the year is not over.
The numbers
| Year | Count |
|---|---|
| 2026 (through September) | 341 |
| 2025 | 316 |
| 2024 | 372 |
| 2023 | 176 |
| 2022 | 306 |
| 2021 | 126 |
| 2020 | 165 |
| 2019 | 241 |
| 2018 | 70 |
Source: Iowa Environmental Mesonet archive of National Weather Service watches, warnings and advisories (VTEC); National Weather Service. Data as of October 1, 2026.
When in the year?
Sum of 2018-2025; the busiest month is labelled.
Source: Iowa Environmental Mesonet archive of National Weather Service watches, warnings and advisories (VTEC); National Weather Service. Data as of October 1, 2026.
Which states get the most snow squall warnings?
Yearly average per state, 2021-2025. A snow squall warning covering two states counts in both.
| State | A year, 2021-2025 | A year, 2018-2025 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 59 | 47 | 106 |
| New York | 46 | 45 | 80 |
| Colorado | 27 | 23 | 3 |
| Wyoming | 20 | 20 | 13 |
| Montana | 14 | 12 | 16 |
| Vermont | 11 | 11 | 21 |
| Nebraska | 11 | 8 | 14 |
| Utah | 10 | 6 | 0 |
| Maine | 9 | 9 | 18 |
| Wisconsin | 9 | 6 | 4 |
| New Jersey | 7 | 8 | 1 |
| Idaho | 7 | 5 | 3 |
| Ohio | 7 | 5 | 18 |
| Massachusetts | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| Minnesota | 6 | 4 | 7 |
| West Virginia | 6 | 6 | 9 |
| New Mexico | 6 | 4 | 9 |
| New Hampshire | 5 | 6 | 8 |
| Iowa | 4 | 3 | 13 |
| Washington | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| South Dakota | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Nevada | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Connecticut | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| Michigan | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| Arizona | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| North Dakota | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Maryland | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Kansas | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Texas | 2 | 2 | 12 |
| Illinois | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Rhode Island | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Virginia | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Indiana | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kentucky | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| District of Columbia | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Delaware | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| California | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: Iowa Environmental Mesonet archive of National Weather Service watches, warnings and advisories (VTEC); National Weather Service. Data as of October 1, 2026.
The latest snow squall warnings in AreaZine's record
NWS RivertonWarningApril 16, 2026
Snow Squall Warning: Sweetwater, WY
Expired 7:00 p.m. MDT, April 16, 2026
This list is AreaZine's record of the NWS alert feed, kept since April 6, 2026; the counts above come from the complete IEM archive.