New York, 2003

Heavy Snow in New York, December 14 to 15, 2003

December 14 to 15, 2003 · NWS BGM · 17 events in 17 counties and zones

A strong storm on the gulf coast moved slowly northeast up the east coast on the 14th to be near the Delmarva peninsula late that day. The storm continued up the coast on the 15th to be in southeast Canada late that evening.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 17 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
$510,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
17

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.

A strong storm on the gulf coast moved slowly northeast up the east coast on the 14th to be near the Delmarva peninsula late that day. The storm continued up the coast on the 15th to be in southeast Canada late that evening. Snow started from around 5 AM near the Pennsylvania border to 9 AM in Oneida County. This was a widespread 8 to 12 inch snow event across south central New York. Higher snow amounts of 10 to 18 inches were across Onondaga, Oneida, and Madison Counties. Across south central New York, sleet and freezing rain mixed in with the snow lowering amounts. The snow caused numerous automobile accidents and closed schools.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

17 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Madison

When
December 14, 8:00 PM EST to December 15, 5:00 AM EST
Where
Madison forecast zone
Property damage
$30,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.913, -75.670 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Northern Oneida

When
December 14, 8:00 PM EST to December 15, 5:00 AM EST
Where
Northern Oneida forecast zone
Property damage
$30,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.242, -75.436 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Onondaga

When
December 14, 8:00 PM EST to December 15, 4:00 AM EST
Where
Onondaga forecast zone
Property damage
$30,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.006, -76.195 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southern Cayuga

When
December 14, 8:00 PM EST to December 15, 4:00 AM EST
Where
Southern Cayuga forecast zone
Property damage
$30,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.010, -76.574 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southern Oneida

When
December 14, 8:00 PM EST to December 15, 5:00 AM EST
Where
Southern Oneida forecast zone
Property damage
$30,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.242, -75.436 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Broome

When
December 14, 10:00 PM EST to December 15, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Broome forecast zone
Property damage
$30,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.160, -75.820 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Chemung

When
December 14, 10:00 PM EST to December 15, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Chemung forecast zone
Property damage
$30,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.141, -76.760 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Cortland

When
December 14, 10:00 PM EST to December 15, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Cortland forecast zone
Property damage
$30,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.595, -76.070 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Schuyler

When
December 14, 10:00 PM EST to December 15, 2:00 AM EST
Where
Schuyler forecast zone
Property damage
$30,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.394, -76.875 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Seneca

When
December 14, 10:00 PM EST to December 15, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Seneca forecast zone
Property damage
$30,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.781, -76.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Steuben

When
December 14, 10:00 PM EST to December 15, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Steuben forecast zone
Property damage
$30,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.268, -77.384 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Tioga

When
December 14, 10:00 PM EST to December 15, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Tioga forecast zone
Property damage
$30,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.170, -76.306 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Tompkins

When
December 14, 10:00 PM EST to December 15, 4:00 AM EST
Where
Tompkins forecast zone
Property damage
$30,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.452, -76.474 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Yates

When
December 14, 10:00 PM EST to December 15, 2:00 AM EST
Where
Yates forecast zone
Property damage
$30,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.633, -77.105 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Chenango

When
December 15, 12:00 AM EST to 4:00 AM EST
Where
Chenango forecast zone
Property damage
$30,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.494, -75.612 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Delaware

When
December 15, 12:00 AM EST to 5:00 AM EST
Where
Delaware forecast zone
Property damage
$30,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.198, -74.966 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Otsego

When
December 15, 12:00 AM EST to 5:00 AM EST
Where
Otsego forecast zone
Property damage
$30,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.634, -75.033 (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 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, December 2003

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: 5328848, 5328849, 5328850, 5328950, 5328951, 5328843, 5328844, 5328846, 5328948, 5328949, 5328952, 5328953, 5328954, 5328955, 5328845, 5328847, 5328851.