New York, 1997

Winter Storm in New York, December 10 to 11, 1997

December 10 to 11, 1997 · NWS ALY · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

During the afternoon of December 10, moderate to heavy snow spread across eastern New York from the southern Catskills and mid Hudson Valley northward to just south of the Capital District The snow moved in quickly from the south and fell at a heavy rate shortly after onset. The timing and rate of snowfall caused many traffic problems during the evening commute.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
11

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS ALY wrote it up.

During the afternoon of December 10, moderate to heavy snow spread across eastern New York from the southern Catskills and mid Hudson Valley northward to just south of the Capital District The snow moved in quickly from the south and fell at a heavy rate shortly after onset. The timing and rate of snowfall caused many traffic problems during the evening commute. At Marlboro in southern Ulster County, two tractor-trailers got stuck across U. S. Route 9W. This caused traffic to back up for more than four miles and forced the road to close for approximately four hours. In Dutchess County, a tractor-trailer got stuck going up a hill and blocked U. S. Route 9 north of Hyde Park for four hours during the evening. The snowfall exhibited a very tight south north cutoff. For example, in Albany County the Albany County Airport received one inch of snow while Alcove in the extreme southern portion of the county received 8 inches. Some other specific snowfall totals included: 7 inches at Berne in Albany County, 8 inches at Ghent in Columbia County, 7 inches at Poughkeepsie in Dutchess County, 8 inches at Cairo in Greene County and 9 inches at Kerhonkson in Ulster County.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Eastern Albany

When
December 10, 12:00 PM EST to December 11, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Eastern Albany forecast zone
Coordinates
42.600, -73.974 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Eastern Columbia

When
December 10, 12:00 PM EST to December 11, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Eastern Columbia forecast zone
Coordinates
42.250, -73.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Eastern Dutchess

When
December 10, 12:00 PM EST to December 11, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Eastern Dutchess forecast zone
Coordinates
41.765, -73.743 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Eastern Greene

When
December 10, 12:00 PM EST to December 11, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Eastern Greene forecast zone
Coordinates
42.277, -74.123 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Eastern Ulster

When
December 10, 12:00 PM EST to December 11, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Eastern Ulster forecast zone
Coordinates
41.888, -74.259 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Western Albany

When
December 10, 12:00 PM EST to December 11, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Western Albany forecast zone
Coordinates
42.600, -73.974 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Western Columbia

When
December 10, 12:00 PM EST to December 11, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Western Columbia forecast zone
Coordinates
42.250, -73.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Western Dutchess

When
December 10, 12:00 PM EST to December 11, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Western Dutchess forecast zone
Coordinates
41.765, -73.743 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Western Greene

When
December 10, 12:00 PM EST to December 11, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Western Greene forecast zone
Coordinates
42.277, -74.123 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Western Rensselaer

When
December 10, 12:00 PM EST to December 11, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Western Rensselaer forecast zone
Coordinates
42.711, -73.510 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Western Ulster

When
December 10, 12:00 PM EST to December 11, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Western Ulster forecast zone
Coordinates
41.888, -74.259 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New York in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, December 1997

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5620283, 5620284, 5620285, 5620286, 5620287, 5620288, 5620289, 5620290, 5620291, 5620292, 5620293.