Current late-September storm systems and associated cold-air outbreaks are the main drivers shaping trader views on the timing of the first measurable snowfall (typically 0.1 inch or more at official NWS sites) for the 2026 season. A broad system is delivering heavy rain across the central U.S. while producing accumulating snow above roughly 11,000 feet in the Colorado Rockies, with NWS high-end forecasts indicating up to 8 inches possible in favored Sangre de Cristo locations; simultaneously, persistent lake-effect snow continues in western New York. Model consensus and climatological baselines show northern tier and high-elevation sites (e.g., Adirondacks, northern Rockies) often record first snow by late October, while lower-elevation Midwest and Northeast cities average early-to-mid November. Traders are watching the next NWS and NOAA forecast updates, including Week-2 hazards outlooks and any early-October cold-front passages, for signals that could shift probabilities toward earlier or later resolution windows.