Heavy Snow in New York, December 5 to 6, 1997

Name: Heavy Snow in New York, December 5 to 6, 1997
Start: 1997-12-05T12:00
End: 1997-12-06T13:30
Location: New York

December 5 to 6, 1997 · NWS BUF · 4 events in 3 counties and zones

Cold air crossing the warm waters of Lake Erie produced lake effect snow squalls southeast of the lake. Up to 14 inches of snow fell over parts of the western southern tier.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $40,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

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 BUF wrote it up.

Cold air crossing the warm waters of Lake Erie produced lake effect snow squalls southeast of the lake. Up to 14 inches of snow fell over parts of the western southern tier. The heavy snow caused the closing of the New York State Thruway from Ripley to the Pennsylvania state line. Numerous auto accidents were blamed on the heavy snow. One woman was killed in an auto accident when she lost control of her car on a snow-covered road. Several other injuries also occurred in car accidents.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Chautauqua

When: December 5, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Chautauqua forecast zone
Property damage: $12,000
Coordinates: 42.303, -79.406 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Erie

When: December 6, 7:30 AM EST
Where: Erie forecast zone
Property damage: $8,000
Coordinates: 42.758, -78.780 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Cattaraugus

When: December 6, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Cattaraugus forecast zone
Property damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 42.249, -78.679 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Chautauqua

When: December 6, 1:30 PM EST
Where: Chautauqua forecast zone
Property damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 42.303, -79.406 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in New York in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5620405, 5620406, 5620407, 5620408.