Recent cold fronts interacting with moisture from former Hurricane Rachel have driven early-season snowfall across higher elevations of the Northern Rockies and parts of Alberta and Montana, with accumulations of several inches reported or forecast for October 10–14. National Weather Service and AccuWeather guidance highlight a strong cold-air surge expected this weekend (October 16–17) that could deliver the season’s first flakes to elevated terrain in the Northeast, including the Adirondacks, Green Mountains, and White Mountains, though lowland accumulation remains unlikely. El Niño conditions are tilting toward later-than-average first measurable snow in the Midwest and Northeast overall, while Western mountain sites align closer to historical October–November norms. NOAA’s next seasonal outlook update and ongoing NWS model runs will provide key data for refining probabilities ahead of resolution criteria tied to official station reports.