New York, 2000

Heavy Snow in New York, December 24 to 27, 2000

December 24 to 27, 2000 · NWS BUF · 7 events in 6 counties and zones

This long lasting lake snow event featured a nearly continuous snowfall on a west to northwest flow. The event began following a strong cold front on Christmas eve with bands setting up over Oswego county off Lake Ontario and southern Erie and Wyoming off Lake Erie.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 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
$95,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

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.

This long lasting lake snow event featured a nearly continuous snowfall on a west to northwest flow. The event began following a strong cold front on Christmas eve with bands setting up over Oswego county off Lake Ontario and southern Erie and Wyoming off Lake Erie. The activity drifted south and intensified on the 26th and 27th, lasting through the morning of the 28th. The snowfall amounts were excessive due primarily to the length of the event. Oswego County was particularly hard ht, especially the area from Fulton to Parish which received three feet or more. Specific snow totals from these extended event included off Lake Erie: 16" at Sinclairville and Warsaw; 14" at Colden; 13" at Perrysburg; and 10" at Silver Creek. Off Lake Ontario: 47" at Parish; 34" at Fulton, 27" at West Monroe; 15" at Oswego; and 12" at Lowville.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Chautauqua

When
December 24, 1:15 PM EST
Where
Chautauqua forecast zone
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.303, -79.406 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Cattaraugus

When
December 24, 8:00 PM EST
Where
Cattaraugus forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.249, -78.679 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Lewis

When
December 25, 7:25 AM EST
Where
Lewis forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.785, -75.449 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Oswego

When
December 26, 1:45 PM EST
Where
Oswego forecast zone
Property damage
$25,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.464, -76.209 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Lewis

When
December 27, 10:35 AM EST
Where
Lewis forecast zone
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.785, -75.449 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Wayne

When
December 27, 11:35 PM EST
Where
Wayne forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.066, -76.978 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Northern Cayuga

When
December 27, 11:35 PM EST
Where
Northern Cayuga forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.010, -76.574 (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

More

Every storm in New York in 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, December 2000

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: 5169026, 5169027, 5169028, 5169029, 5169030, 5169031, 5169032.