00:41 Hurricane Laura’s Storm Surge Traps Bottlenose Dolphin Miles From the Ocean A bottlenose dolphin got lost in Hurricane Laura’s storm surge and ended up trapped in a landlocked pond for about a week in Louisiana.

At a Glance Different weather conditions each year can make the first freeze occur earlier or later than average.

Mountainous regions generally reach 32 degrees before areas less influenced by terrain.

The first freeze of the season may be here before you know it.

Some parts of the Mountain West, Rockies, northern High Plains and northern New England have already had their first freeze, and the northern Rockies have already had a major snowstorm .

But when does the first freeze typically occur? Below, we'll break it down by the approximate average date.

These are average dates. Different weather conditions each year can bring the first freeze earlier or later (sometimes much earlier or later) than what is shown in a given region.

<img class="styles__noscript__2rw2y" src="https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/average_first_freeze_0.png?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0" srcset="https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/average_first_freeze_0.png?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 400w, https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/average_first_freeze_0.png?v=ap&w=980&h=551&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 800w" > The average date of the season's first freeze is contoured on the map.

Sept. 15

The average first freeze occurs around Sept. 15 for much of the Rockies and Intermountain West, as well as for parts of the northern Plains and upper Midwest (closer to the U.S.-Canada border). Some inland areas of the upper Great Lakes also see their first freeze around Sept. 15.

The highest peaks of Maine's Mahoosuc Range, New Hampshire's White Mountains, Vermont's Green Mountains and New York's Adirondack Mountains drop to the freezing mark around Sept. 15 as well.

Oct. 1

A large portion of the West and Midwest sees its first freeze around Oct. 1. This includes much of the Great Basin, northern Plains, upper Midwest and parts of the upper Great Lakes.

In the Colorado Plateau in northern Arizona and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in northern New Mexico, the average first freeze occurs around Oct. 1 over the highest elevations. The lower elevations usually stay above 32 degrees for a couple more weeks.

Most of the Adirondacks and Catskills in New York and the Appalachians from west-central Pennsylvania down into eastern West Virginia experience 32-degree temperatures around Oct. 1.

The majority of New England also gets its first freeze around Oct. 1, on average. The exception is areas closer to the coast, which typically don't reach 32 degrees until a couple of weeks later.

(MORE: October 2019 Temperature Outlook)

<img class="styles__noscript__2rw2y" src="https://s.w-x.co/util/image/w/days_since_last_freeze_warnings_oct_1_2019.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273" srcset="https://s.w-x.co/util/image/w/days_since_last_freeze_warnings_oct_1_2019.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273 400w, https://s.w-x.co/util/image/w/days_since_last_freeze_warnings_oct_1_2019.jpg?v=ap&w=980&h=551 800w" > Numbers on the map denote how many days have passed since each National Weather Service office last issued a freeze warning for its County Warning Area. The NWS issues freeze warnings, generally in the fall, to alert people of the end of the growing season due to temperatures dropping to 32 degrees or lower. (Iowa Environmental Mesonet/Iowa State University)

Oct. 15

A large area of the country averages its first freeze in mid-October.

Northern portions of the Southwest, much of the central Plains, parts of the upper and mid-Mississippi Valley, much of the Great Lakes, the northern Ohio Valley and a large portion of the Northeast generally reach 32 degrees around Oct. 15.

The Great Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee and western North Carolina also have their first freeze near Oct. 15, as well as the Shenandoah Valley of western Virginia and much of West Virginia.

Nov. 1

Parts of the Southwest, southern Plains, mid-Mississippi and Ohio valleys and mid-Atlantic see their first freeze, on average, Nov. 1.

The same goes for the major cities along the Interstate 95 corridor: New York City to Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. The urban heat island effect keeps cities warmer than their suburbs overnight.

(MORE: Urban Heat Islands: Why Cites are Warmer than Rural Areas)

Nov. 15

Parts of Southern California, the Desert Southwest, southern Plains, lower Mississippi Valley and Southeast see their first freezes around Nov. 15, on average.

The southernmost portions of these regions, such as southeastern Texas, Louisiana, southern Mississippi and Alabama, the coastal Carolinas, southern Georgia and all of Florida, typically don't reach the freezing mark until after Nov. 15, though in some years, they may not record 32-degree temperatures at all.