Stunning Summer Snowfall Hits South Dakota

September is a month best characterized by last minute barbeques, beach runs, sun tan lotion, and back to school shopping. The last thing you'd expect is having to break out the snow shovel, but on Thursday some South Dakota residents had to do just that, with one of the state's earliest snow falls ever.

According to The Weather Channel, startling snow has blanked parts of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and Nebraska starting Thursday and into Friday.

However, while Septemeber snow is a rare sight even for these states, no one was more surprised than residents of Rapid City, North Dakota, who received up to 1.6 inches of snow Thursday morning. While a minor fall, it is the earliest instance of snow the region has seen in more than 125 years, according to the National Weather Service. (Scroll to read on...)

The brief snowfall moved its way across the state, reportedly dumping about seven inches on the stoic faces of Mt. Rushmore alone - snowmelt giving the heart-wrenching impression that the presidents were shedding tears on September 11.

Buffalo, more well-known for its chilly and inclement weather, was also hit with a similar fall and pounded with heavy winds. A number of freeze-shocked trees even reportedly fell in the area, temporarily obstructing roadways. (Scroll to read on...)

[Credit: National Weather Service, Riverton]

However, don't go challenging climate change theorists just yet.

These September and even August snowfalls are surprisingly not as uncommon as you'd think. According to the Weather Channel and the NOAA, a great deal of western states started seeing such snowfalls as early as 1903, with earlier falls likely not on record. Northwestern states closest to Canada saw the worst of these early storms, but even southern California can attest that it has seen some September snow.