Tuesday's Freeze = Winter Snow?

(Columbia) - The morning cold you experienced Tuesday in the Midlands was a record. And if trends continue, it could be a sign that snow is on the way.

The recorded low at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport was 31 degrees. That is the coldest October 24 since more precise records were begun in 1887. The old mark was 32 degrees, set in both 1999 and 1952.

And yes, it is unusual to see freezing temperatures this early in the year. News19 meteorologist Scott Ryan went back and checked the numbers, and found that a cold this early in the year only happens about 10 percent of the time. And since records began, a first freeze has occured in October only 20 percent of the time.

The median date for the first freeze to take place is November 11.

The earliest freeze ever recorded in Columbia was on October 4, 1974. The latest was on December 30, 1921.

And here's a little food for thought: while it could be coincidence, our area has seen at least one snowfall for the winter five of the last seven times the first freeze happened in October. When you compare the years where there's been appreciable snow in the area against years where the first freeze happened in October, it shows there's a 62 percent chance of a freeze indicating snow for the following winter.