New York, 2002

Ice Storm in New York, November 16 to 17, 2002

November 16 to 17, 2002 · NWS BGM · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

Preceding this event a cold front went through the night of the 15th to the 16th. This dropped up to 4 inches of snow but more importantly sent temperatures into the 20s.

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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$85,000
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 BGM wrote it up.

Preceding this event a cold front went through the night of the 15th to the 16th. This dropped up to 4 inches of snow but more importantly sent temperatures into the 20s. At the start of the event temperatures were from the upper 20s to around 30 degrees Fahrenheit. During this event, low pressure moved up the Atlantic coast. The storm spread copious moisture north ahead of it. Water equivalents were between half an inch and an inch and a half. The higher amounts were in Sullivan County. In general the higher elevations had a thicker coat of ice. Above 1800 feet in Sullivan County the ice was one inch thick. Further north in Oneida and Madison Counties a northeast low level flow kept temperatures at or just below freezing for a longer period. The weight of the ice on the trees and wires brought down wires and closed roads. More snow the night of the 16th to the 17th brought more trees and wires down. Five to ten thousand customers lost power across the area. To a few hundred customers power was not restored for four days.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Ice Storm, Chenango

When
November 16, 1:00 PM EST to November 17, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Chenango forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
42.494, -75.612 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Delaware

When
November 16, 1:00 PM EST to November 17, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Delaware forecast zone
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
42.198, -74.966 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Madison

When
November 16, 1:00 PM EST to November 17, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Madison forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
42.913, -75.670 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Northern Oneida

When
November 16, 1:00 PM EST to November 17, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Northern Oneida forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
43.242, -75.436 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Otsego

When
November 16, 1:00 PM EST to November 17, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Otsego forecast zone
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
42.634, -75.033 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Southern Oneida

When
November 16, 1:00 PM EST to November 17, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Southern Oneida forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
43.242, -75.436 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Sullivan

When
November 16, 1:00 PM EST to November 17, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Sullivan forecast zone
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
41.716, -74.768 (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.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New York in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, November 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: 5322365, 5322366, 5322367, 5322368, 5322369, 5322370, 5322371.