Ice Storm and Heavy Snow in New York, January 31, 2002

Name: Ice Storm and Heavy Snow in New York, January 31, 2002
Start: 2002-01-31T07:30
End: 2002-01-31T17:10
Location: New York

January 31, 2002 · NWS BUF · 14 events in 14 counties and zones

A three to five inch snowfall overnight of the 30th-31st turned to freezing rain during the morning hours. Ice accumulations of one-half to three-quarters inch occurred.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 14 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: $7.7 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 14

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.

A three to five inch snowfall overnight of the 30th-31st turned to freezing rain during the morning hours. Ice accumulations of one-half to three-quarters inch occurred. Hundreds of thousands were left without power as the heavy ice build-up downed trees and power lines. Some areas were without power for up to 72 hours. Winds picked up and gusted to 55 mph. Trees and tree limbs fell blocking roads and damaging homes and automobiles. Tree damage included large and small limb breakage and bark damage as well as the uprooting of trees. States of Emergency were declared across the Niagara Frontier counties. East of Lake Ontario snowfall amounts of six to eight inches were followed by one-quarter to one-half inch of ice.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Buffalo, NY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 31, 4:30 AM EST, 3 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 31, 4:30 AM EST, 3 hours before

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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 ice storm, 4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Ice Storm, Chautauqua

When: January 31, 7:30 AM EST
Where: Chautauqua forecast zone
Property damage: $250,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.303, -79.406 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Erie

When: January 31, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Erie forecast zone
Property damage: $1.5 million
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.758, -78.780 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Niagara

When: January 31, 9:00 AM EST
Where: Niagara forecast zone
Property damage: $1.5 million
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.173, -78.691 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Wyoming

When: January 31, 9:00 AM EST
Where: Wyoming forecast zone
Property damage: $250,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.702, -78.224 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Orleans

When: January 31, 9:45 AM EST
Where: Orleans forecast zone
Property damage: $1.0 million
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.251, -78.189 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Monroe

When: January 31, 10:55 AM EST
Where: Monroe forecast zone
Property damage: $500,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.165, -77.636 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Genesee

When: January 31, 11:15 AM EST
Where: Genesee forecast zone
Property damage: $1.0 million
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.001, -78.194 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Ontario

When: January 31, 11:20 AM EST
Where: Ontario forecast zone
Property damage: $250,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.853, -77.300 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Livingston

When: January 31, 12:30 PM EST
Where: Livingston forecast zone
Property damage: $250,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.728, -77.775 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Oswego

When: January 31, 12:45 PM EST
Where: Oswego forecast zone
Property damage: $250,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 43.464, -76.209 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Jefferson

When: January 31, 1:10 PM EST
Where: Jefferson forecast zone
Property damage: $250,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 43.999, -76.052 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Northern Cayuga

When: January 31, 1:15 PM EST
Where: Northern Cayuga forecast zone
Property damage: $150,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 43.010, -76.574 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Lewis

When: January 31, 1:35 PM EST
Where: Lewis forecast zone
Property damage: $250,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 43.785, -75.449 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Wayne

When: January 31, 5:10 PM EST
Where: Wayne forecast zone
Property damage: $250,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 43.066, -76.978 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Ice Storm: Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.
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 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in New York, January 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5279937, 5279938, 5279939, 5279940, 5279941, 5279942, 5279943, 5279944, 5279945, 5279947, 5279948, 5279949, 5279950, 5279946.