Name: Heavy Snow in New York, December 25, 2002
Start: 2002-12-25T10:45
End: 2002-12-25T16:40
Location: New York

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 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: $135,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 9

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.

Low pressure moved northeast along the Appalachians and brought a general heavy snow to much of the region on Christmas eve and Christmas day. A eight to twelve inch blanket of snow covered the area with higher amounts generally over the Finger Lakes Region. The heavy snows slowed holiday travelers and caused limited delays that the Rochester Airport.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Monroe

When: December 25, 10:45 AM EST
Where: Monroe forecast zone
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.165, -77.636 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Chautauqua

When: December 25, 10:45 AM 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, Allegany

When: December 25, 11:10 AM EST
Where: Allegany forecast zone
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.257, -78.028 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Cattaraugus

When: December 25, 11:14 AM EST
Where: Cattaraugus forecast zone
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.249, -78.679 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Wayne

When: December 25, 11:30 AM EST
Where: Wayne forecast zone
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.066, -76.978 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Northern Cayuga

When: December 25, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Northern Cayuga forecast zone
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.010, -76.574 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Wyoming

When: December 25, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Wyoming forecast zone
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.702, -78.224 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Livingston

When: December 25, 4:25 PM EST
Where: Livingston forecast zone
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.728, -77.775 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Ontario

When: December 25, 4:40 PM EST
Where: Ontario forecast zone
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.853, -77.300 (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 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in New York, December 2002

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5324380, 5324381, 5324382, 5324383, 5324384, 5324385, 5324386, 5324387, 5324388.