Alert archive / New York / Snow Squall Warnings in 2026

Snow Squall Warning 13, NWS Buffalo, NY

January 22, 20266 counties in New York

NWS Buffalo, NY issued this snow squall warning at Jan 22, 2026, 1:47 PM EST for 6 counties in New York. It was in force for 43 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Jan 22, 2026, 1:47 PM EST (18:47 UTC)
Expired
Jan 22, 2026, 2:30 PM EST
In force
43 min
Issued by
NWS Buffalo, NY
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Genesee County, NY, Livingston County, NY, Monroe County, NY, Ontario County, NY, Orleans County, NY, Wayne County, NY

The radar

The Buffalo radar (KBUF), 85 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:50 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Buffalo Intl Airport, NY (KBUF), launched 12:00Z, 6.8 hours before the alert went out and 83 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Buffalo Intl Airport, NY at 12:00Z on 2026-01-22Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Buffalo Intl Airport, NY at 12:00Z on 2026-01-22The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 171 square meters per square second.1939587897117136156175Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
477 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
101 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
171 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
260 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

287 
WWUS51 KBUF 221847
SQWBUF

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Snow Squall Warning
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
147 PM EST Thu Jan 22 2026

NYC037-051-055-069-073-117-221930-
/O.NEW.KBUF.SQ.W.0013.260122T1847Z-260122T1930Z/
Wayne NY-Livingston NY-Orleans NY-Genesee NY-Monroe NY-Ontario NY-
147 PM EST Thu Jan 22 2026

The National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a

* Snow Squall Warning for...
  Southwestern Wayne County in western New York...
  Northern Livingston County in western New York...
  Southeastern Orleans County in western New York...
  Eastern Genesee County in western New York...
  Monroe County in western New York...
  Northwestern Ontario County in western New York...

* Until 230 PM EST.

* At 146 PM EST, a dangerous snow squall was located over Caledonia,
  or 9 miles southwest of Chili, moving northeast at 40 mph.

  HAZARD...Intense bursts of heavy snow. Gusty winds leading to 
           blowing snow and rapidly falling visibility. Wind gusts 
           up to 35 mph.

  SOURCE...Radar and webcams.

  IMPACT...Travel will become difficult and potentially dangerous 
           within minutes.

This includes the following highways...
 Interstate 390 between exits 8 and 12.
 Interstate 90 between exits 45 and 47.

Locations impacted include...
Rochester, Greece, Irondequoit, Chili, Batavia, Brockport, Geneseo,
East Rochester, Hilton, and Webster.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Slow Down! Rapid changes in visibility and road conditions are
expected with this dangerous snow squall. Be alert for sudden
whiteout conditions.

Reduce speed and turn on headlights! During snow squalls, the
visibility may suddenly drop to near zero in whiteout conditions.

&&

LAT...LON 4299 7817 4340 7786 4338 7775 4328 7754
      4331 7742 4316 7708 4276 7783
TIME...MOT...LOC 1846Z 241DEG 35KT 4298 7782 

SNOW SQUALL...OBSERVED

$$

HSK
1 follow-up statement
712 
WWUS51 KBUF 221917
SQWBUF

Snow Squall Warning
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
217 PM EST Thu Jan 22 2026

NYC037-051-055-069-073-117-221930-
/O.CON.KBUF.SQ.W.0013.000000T0000Z-260122T1930Z/
Wayne NY-Livingston NY-Orleans NY-Genesee NY-Monroe NY-Ontario NY-
217 PM EST Thu Jan 22 2026

...A SNOW SQUALL WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 230 PM EST FOR
SOUTHWESTERN WAYNE...NORTHEASTERN LIVINGSTON...SOUTHEASTERN
ORLEANS...NORTHEASTERN GENESEE...MONROE AND NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO
COUNTIES...

At 216 PM EST, a few dangerous snow squalls were located over 
Irondequoit, moving northeast at 45 mph.

HAZARD...Intense bursts of heavy snow. Gusty winds leading to 
         blowing snow and rapidly falling visibility. Wind gusts up 
         to 35 mph.

SOURCE...Radar and webcams.

IMPACT...Travel will become difficult and potentially dangerous 
         within minutes.

This includes the following highways...
 Interstate 390 between exits 11 and 12.
 Interstate 90 between exits 45 and 47.

Locations impacted include...
Rochester, Greece, Irondequoit, Chili, Brockport, East Rochester,
Hilton, Webster, Fairport, and Brighton.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Slow Down! Rapid changes in visibility and road conditions are
expected with this dangerous snow squall. Be alert for sudden
whiteout conditions.

Reduce speed and turn on headlights! During snow squalls, the
visibility may suddenly drop to near zero in whiteout conditions.

&&

LAT...LON 4306 7812 4340 7786 4338 7775 4328 7754
      4331 7742 4316 7708 4290 7758
TIME...MOT...LOC 1916Z 241DEG 41KT 4318 7757 

SNOW SQUALL...OBSERVED

$$

HSK

The office that day

Everything else NWS Buffalo, NY issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 21, 8:54 PM ESTSnow Squall WarningBUFCattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans66 min
Jan 21, 9:50 PM ESTSnow Squall WarningBUFCattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Monroe, Niagara and 2 more55 min
Jan 21, 10:42 PM ESTSnow Squall WarningBUFAllegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Livingston and 4 more63 min
Jan 22, 1:20 AM ESTLake Effect Snow WarningBUFErie, Wyoming36 hr
Jan 22, 1:58 AM ESTWinter Storm WatchBUFAllegany, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee and 10 more35 hr
Jan 22, 9:30 AM ESTSnow Squall WarningBUFAllegany, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Livingston, Monroe and 3 more60 min
Jan 22, 12:17 PM ESTCold Weather AdvisoryBUFAllegany, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee and 8 more46 hr
Jan 22, 12:17 PM ESTExtreme Cold WarningBUFJefferson, Lewis49 hr
Jan 22, 3:34 PM ESTSnow Squall WarningBUFErie, Genesee, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans56 min
Jan 22, 4:30 PM ESTSnow Squall WarningBUFErie, Genesee, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans60 min
Jan 22, 5:26 PM ESTSnow Squall WarningBUFErie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Orleans, Wayne64 min

Nearby

Snow Squall Warnings in New York, 2026Every snow squall warning in 2026

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.