Lake-Effect Snow in New York, December 7, 2005

Name: Lake-Effect Snow in New York, December 7, 2005
Start: 2005-12-07T02:00
End: 2005-12-07T14:00
Location: New York

December 7, 2005 · NWS BGM · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

Arctic air moved in during December 6th behind a departing coastal low pressure system. This cold air created lake effect snow east of 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $25,000
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 BGM wrote it up.

Arctic air moved in during December 6th behind a departing coastal low pressure system. This cold air created lake effect snow east of lake Ontario. A band of heavy lake effect snow moved into northern Oneida County around 6 PM on December 6th. The band was stationary over central and northern Oneida County through the night before shifting slightly south into northern Onondaga and northern Madison Counties around 5 AM. The band was stationary for a few hours before being pushed further south by a cold front early in the afternoon. Snowfall rates were 1 to 3 inches an hour. Like a previous lake effect event on the 2nd to the 3rd, west winds of 15 to 20 mph caused blowing and drifting snow, and whiteout conditions. Snowfall amounts were 8 to 18 inches in northern Oneida County, and 6 to 12 inches in northern Onondaga, northern Madison, and southern Oneida Counties.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 lake-effect snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Lake-Effect Snow, Northern Oneida

When: December 7, 2:00 AM EST to 7:00 AM EST
Where: Northern Oneida forecast zone
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.242, -75.436 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Southern Oneida

When: December 7, 6:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Southern Oneida forecast zone
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.242, -75.436 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Madison

When: December 7, 11:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Madison forecast zone
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.913, -75.670 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Onondaga

When: December 7, 11:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Onondaga forecast zone
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.006, -76.195 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Lake-Effect Snow: Heavy snow in bands downwind of a large lake as cold air crosses warmer water.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in New York in 2005 Every state in 2005 This day in weather history Warnings in New York, December 2005

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: 5488459, 5488461, 5488458, 5488460.