New York, 2004

Heavy Snow in New York, December 24 to 26, 2004

December 24 to 26, 2004 · NWS BUF · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

Cold air built in across the lower Great Lakes during the afternoon of the 23rd and set up lake effect snow bands off Lake Erie over the higher elevations of the Western Southern Tier. A more intense band set up over northern Oswego and southwest Lewis counties off Lake Ontario.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
$8,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

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.

Cold air built in across the lower Great Lakes during the afternoon of the 23rd and set up lake effect snow bands off Lake Erie over the higher elevations of the Western Southern Tier. A more intense band set up over northern Oswego and southwest Lewis counties off Lake Ontario. The activity off Lake Erie reorganized during the mid to late morning of the 24th into a single band from Silver Creek to Boston and then lifted north into the Buffalo metro area during the early afternoon. A general six to twelve inches fell with the heaviest amounts from downtown Buffalo to the Buffalo Airport. The Buffalo Airport was closed for several hours because of the snow. Off Lake Ontario, the lake snows also drifted north into Jefferson county, then settled back over Oswego county. Lake Erie snow amounts included: West Seneca 13"; Buffalo Airport 12"; Hamburg 10"; and Boston and Silver Creek 8". Off Lake Ontario the most snow fell over Oswego county where 23" was reported in Pulaski. Other reports included: North Osceola and Hooker 8" and Mexico 7".

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Oswego

When
December 24, 7:00 AM EST to December 25, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Oswego forecast zone
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.464, -76.209 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Lewis

When
December 24, 8:22 AM EST to December 25, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Lewis forecast zone
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.785, -75.449 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Northern Erie

When
December 24, 6:40 PM EST to December 26, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Northern Erie forecast zone
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.758, -78.780 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southern Erie

When
December 25, 10:15 AM EST to December 26, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Southern Erie forecast zone
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.758, -78.780 (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 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, December 2004

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: 5429169, 5429170, 5429171, 5429172.