Weather
New Hampshire Winter Weather: Snow Before Thanksgiving, Nov. 26?
Concord, NH – New Hampshire residents preparing for Thanksgiving travel may want to keep an eye on the calendar as the state's historical first snowfall window approaches. Concord typically records it
By Sophie Caldwell · 2026-10-17T07:44:39.367Z
Concord, NH – New Hampshire residents preparing for Thanksgiving travel may want to keep an eye on the calendar as the state's historical first snowfall window approaches. Concord typically records its first measurable snow several days before the holiday, while some northern communities can experience winter conditions even earlier.
According to historical snowfall information provided for this report, Concord's typical first measurable snowfall occurs around Nov. 20. That places the seasonal benchmark six days before Thanksgiving, which falls on Thursday, Nov. 26, in 2026.
When Does New Hampshire Usually See Its First Snow? New Hampshire frequently experiences early season snowfall, although the timing can vary considerably by location.
Northern communities and higher elevations generally encounter colder conditions earlier than southern and lower elevation areas.
Concord, in Merrimack County, serves as a useful central New Hampshire reference point, with measurable snowfall historically arriving around the third week of November.
Measurable snow is defined as at least 0.1 inches of accumulation. Flurries and brief snow showers can occur before that threshold is reached.
Could Snow or Ice Affect Thanksgiving Travel? Early winter weather in New Hampshire is not limited to snowfall.
Mixed precipitation events can produce freezing rain and moderate ice accumulation when temperatures hover near freezing.
These conditions can make bridges, untreated roads and elevated surfaces slippery, even when snowfall totals remain relatively light.
However, the Nov. 20 historical benchmark does not mean snow or ice is specifically forecast for that date in 2026.
Residents traveling between Concord, Manchester, Nashua and northern New Hampshire should monitor National Weather Service forecasts as Thanksgiving approaches.
For now, historical patterns indicate that New Hampshire's first measurable snowfall commonly arrives before Thanksgiving, making November an important time to prepare for winter driving conditions.