Heavy Snow in New York, March 1, 2005

Name: Heavy Snow in New York, March 1, 2005
Start: 2005-03-01T01:00
End: 2005-03-01T08:15
Location: New York

March 1, 2005 · NWS OKX · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

A weak high pressure ridge extended southwest across the region from New England as a low pressure system intensified and moved northeast. Light snow developed northeast across the region between 1 and 4 pm Monday afternoon.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 10 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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 11

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 OKX wrote it up.

A weak high pressure ridge extended southwest across the region from New England as a low pressure system intensified and moved northeast. This strong low passed south of Long Island Monday night and east of the New England coast during Tuesday.Light snow developed northeast across the region between 1 and 4 pm Monday afternoon. As the low rapidly intensified and moved closer to the region, narrow bands of heavy snow swept northeast across the region. The last band of heavy snow swept northeast across the region between 7:30 am and 8:30 am Tuesday morning, March 1st. Storm Total Snowfall amounts ranged from 5 to 9 inches.Here are selected snowfall totals for:Rockland County - from 7.2 inches at New City to 8.0 inches at Sloatsburg.Westchester County - from 5.0 inches at Scarsdale to 8.0 inches at Yorktown Heights.Putnam County - from 6.5 inches at Lake Peekskill to 8.5 inches at Lake Carmel.New York (Manhattan) - 7.5 inches was measured at the Central Park Zoo.Richmond (Staten Island) - from 6.1 inches at Bulls Head to 6.5 inches at New Dorf.Kings (Brooklyn) - from 5.0 inches at Graves End to 6.0 inches at Sheepshead Bay.Queens County - from 5.0 inches at JFK Airport to 7.0 inches at LaGuardia Airport.Suffolk County - from 5.5 inches at the NWS Office in Upton, Sag Harbor, Patchogue, and Deer Park to 7.2 inches in Smithtown. At Islip Airport, 6.6 inches was measured.

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 New York, NY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 28, 10:08 PM EST, 2 hours 52 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 28, 10:08 PM EST, 2 hours 52 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE UPTON NY
1008 PM MON FEB 28 2005

.SHORT TERM (OVERNIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT)...IN NOWCAST MODE
FOR BANDS OF SNOW AFFECTING THE AREA OVER THE NEXT 6 HOURS. HAVE HAD
REPORTS OF UP TO 6 INCHES IN ORANGE COUNTY...WITH 2-4 INCHES MOST
ELSEHWERE.  AM FIGURING ON ANOTHER 1-2 INCHES OR SO FROM BANDS JUST
ENTERING CWA FROM THE SOUTHWEST...THEN A BRIEF BREAK IN THE ACTION
FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER 2-3 INCHES FROM ACTIVITY ASSOCIATED WITH JET
LEFT EXIT REGION/MID LEVEL SHORTWAVE JUST ENTERING SOUTHERN NEW
JERSEY. SURFACE OBS INDICATE SOME SLEET/FREEZING RAIN OVER SOUTHERN
NJ WITH THIS LATTER ACTIVITY...WELL CORRELATED WITH 00Z NAM H8 0C
ISOTHERM...BUT I THINK THE MIX WILL NOT MAKE IT ONTO LAND HERE AND
WILL REMAIN JUST OFFSHORE. WITH ALL THIS IN MIND...WARNINGS WILL
STAND. CURRENT TOTALS LOOK ALL RIGHT FOR THE MOST PART...BUT AMOUNTS
MAY ACTUALLY BE A TAD HIGH EASTERN SECTIONS AND A TAD LOW OVER
ORANGE/WESTERN PASSAIC. WILL ADJUST AS NEEDED IN FOLLOWUP WSW.

WINDS HAVE NOT LIVE UP TO THEIR POTENTIAL EXCEPT PERHAPS OVER THE
TWIN FORKS OF LONG ISLAND...AS NEARBY BLOCK ISLAND GUSTED TO 47 KT
AT 0235Z. WILL KEEP MENTION OF GUSTS AROUND 50 MPH OVER THERE BUT
PLAY DOWN WINDS ELSEWHERE.

AFTER A BRIEF RESPITE...EXPECT LIGHT SNOWS TO REDEVELOP DURING THE
LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON HOURS AS THE UPPER LOW EMERGES ACROSS THE
CENTRAL APPALACHIANS AND OVER THE FORECAST AREA. THERE COULD BE AN
ADDITIONAL INCH OR TWO OF SNOWFALL...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE LOWER
HUDSON VALLEY AND THE HILLS OF NE NJ.

THE COMBINATION OF CYCLONIC FLOW AND A NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL
ENSURE CLOUDY AND UNSEASONABLY COLD CONDITIONS INTO WED.
&&

.LONG TERM (THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY)...A PROLONGED PERIOD OF BELOW
NORMAL HEIGHTS OVER THE NORTHEAST QUARTER OF THE NATION WILL ENSURE
BELOW NORMAL TEMPS FOR THE FORECAST AREA. THE NEXT CHANCE OF PCPN
WILL BE SAT INTO SAT NIGHT AS CLIPPER TYPE SYSTEM DROPS DOWN ACROSS
THE GREAT LAKES AND OHIO VALLEY STATES. THE LATEST GFS HAS TRENDED
FARTHER SOUTH WITH THIS SYSTEM...THUS HAVE LOWERED POPS TO SLIGHT
CHANCE. THE ECMWF MORE OR LESS SWINGS A FRONTAL SYSTEM THROUGH THE
AREA WITH REALLY NO RESEMBLANCE OF A SURFACE WAVE.
&&

.HYDROLOGY...LOOKING AT A MEAN AREAL QPF OF 0.75 INCHES WITH MOST OF
THIS IN THE FORM OF SNOW. MINOR RISES WILL BE POSSIBLE ON AREA
RIVERS AND STREAMS...BUT A BUILDUP OF SNOW AND ICE COULD ALSO AFFECT
GAUGES.
&&

.MARINE...THE COASTAL FLOOD WATCH WILL BE CONTINUED FOR THE
OVERNIGHT HIGH TIDE CYCLE. FOR THE MOST PART...ONLY MINOR COASTAL
FLOODING IS EXPECTED. HOWEVER...SOME LOCALLY MODERATE COASTAL
FLOODING IS STILL POSSIBLE....MAINLY ALONG THE WESTERN LONG ISLAND
SOUND. HOWEVER...THE WINDS ARE FORECAST TO SHIFT AROUND TO A MORE
NORTHERLY DIRECTION PRIOR TO THE HIGH TIDE WHICH SHOULD LIMIT THE
RISE SOMEWHAT. AT THIS POINT...WE WONT ISSUE ANY WARNINGS...BUT
WE/LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE TIDE GAGES OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS.

WINDS/WAVES: WILL CONTINUE FLAGS AS CURRENTLY POSTED...STORM ON
OCEAN WATERS AND GALES ON SOUND/HARBOR. OCEAN WINDS SHOULD DIMINISH
BELOW STORM FORCE LATE TONIGHT. FOR THE MOST PART...A FAIRLY TIGHT
PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL RESULT IN W TO NW WINDS ALONG WITH SMALL
CRAFT CONDITIONS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. GALE FORCE WINDS MAY
BE POSSIBLE ON THE OCEAN ON THURSDAY.
&&

.AVIATION...GENERALLY IFR CONDITIONS ACROSS THE REGION WITH
MESOSCALE BANDS OF VLIFR/LIFR ORGANIZING JUST TO THE SOUTH AND OVER
THE REGION. THESE MODERATE/HEAVY BANDS SHOULD CONTINUE TO
CONSOLIDATE AS BEST LIFT ENTERS THE REGION THROUGH AROUND 08Z.
EXPECT CONDITIONS TO GRADUALLY IMPROVE TO MVFR AS SNOW TAPERS TOWARD
DAYBREAK WITH LOW PRESSURE MOVING TO AROUND CAPE COD BY DAYBREAK.
ANOTHER AREA OF LOW PRES OVER THE OHIO VALLEY WILL SWING THROUGH THE
AREA TUE. ALTHOUGH VSBY MAY RETURN TO VFR IN THE MORNING...EXPECT
SNOW SHOWER ACTIVITY TO RETURN CONDITIONS TO MVFR FROM AFTERNOON ON.
&&

.OKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CT...WINTER STORM WARNING ALL ZONES TIL 5 AM.
     COASTAL FLOOD WATCH CTZ009-010 TONIGHT.
NJ...WINTER STORM WARNING ALL ZONES TIL 5 AM.
NY...WINTER STORM WARNING ALL ZONES TIL 5 AM.
     COASTAL FLOOD WATCH NYZ071-073-076>081 TONIGHT.
MARINE...STORM WARNING OCEAN WATERS...ANZ350-353-355.
         GALE WARNING SOUND AND HARBOR...ANZ330-335-338.

&&

PUBLIC UPDATE...GOODMAN
AVIATION...NV
MARINE...EKH

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 28, 4:57 AM EST, 20 hours 3 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE UPTON NY
457 AM EST MON FEB 28 2005

CTZ007-008-010>012-NYZ077>081-011200-
NASSAU NY-NORTHEAST SUFFOLK NY-NORTHERN MIDDLESEX CT-
NORTHERN NEW LONDON CT-NORTHWEST SUFFOLK NY-SOUTHEAST SUFFOLK NY-
SOUTHERN MIDDLESEX CT-SOUTHERN NEW HAVEN CT-SOUTHERN NEW LONDON CT-
SOUTHWEST SUFFOLK NY-
457 AM EST MON FEB 28 2005

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR LONG ISLAND AND SOUTHEASTERN
CONNECTICUT.

...WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT...
...STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE OCEAN WATERS...
...GALE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR LONG ISLAND SOUND...
...COASTAL FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR TONIGHT...

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT...
A POTENT WINTER STORM WILL MOVE JUST SOUTH OF THE REGION THIS
AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.  SNOW WILL DEVELOP DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS
AND CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING...WHEN IT WILL MIX WITH RAIN AND SLEET
AT TIMES...BEFORE CHANGING BACK TO SNOW OVERNIGHT.  TOTAL SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE IN THE 4 TO 8 INCH RANGE.

A STRONG AND PERSISTENT EAST TO NORTHEAST WIND COMPONENT MAY CAUSE
WIDESPREAD MINOR COASTAL FLOODING. HOWEVER...MODERATE COASTAL
FLOODING IS POSSIBLE IN LONG ISLAND SOUND...PECONIC BAY...AND THE
BACK BAYS ALONG THE OCEAN WATERS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE DAY TUESDAY AS
ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM OVER THE GREAT LAKES MOVES ACROSS THE AREA.
MINOR ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
REPORTS OF SNOWFALL AND ANY COASTAL FLOODING WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

CTZ005-006-009-NJZ002>006-011-NYZ067>076-011200-
BERGEN NJ-BRONX NY-EASTERN PASSAIC NJ-ESSEX NJ-HUDSON NJ-
KINGS (BROOKLYN) NY-NEW YORK (MANHATTAN) NY-NORTHERN FAIRFIELD CT-
NORTHERN NEW HAVEN CT-NORTHERN WESTCHESTER NY-ORANGE NY-PUTNAM NY-
QUEENS NY-RICHMOND (STATEN IS.) NY-ROCKLAND NY-SOUTHERN FAIRFIELD CT-
SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER NY-UNION NJ-WESTERN PASSAIC NJ-
457 AM EST MON FEB 28 2005

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWESTERN CONNECTICUT...NEW
YORK CITY...NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY AND THE LOWER HUDSON VALLEY.

...WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT...
...STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE OCEAN WATERS...
...GALE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR LONG ISLAND SOUND AND NEW YORK
HARBOR...
...COASTAL FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR WESTERN LONG ISLAND SOUND
TONIGHT...

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT...
A POTENT WINTER STORM WILL MOVE JUST SOUTH OF THE REGION THIS
AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.  SNOW WILL DEVELOP DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS
AND CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING...WHEN IT WILL MIX WITH RAIN AND SLEET
AT TIMES...BEFORE CHANGING BACK TO SNOW OVERNIGHT.  TOTAL SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE IN THE 6 TO 12 INCH RANGE.

A STRONG AND PERSISTENT EAST TO NORTHEAST WIND COMPONENT MAY CAUSE
WIDESPREAD MINOR COASTAL FLOODING. HOWEVER...MODERATE COASTAL
FLOODING IS POSSIBLE IN LONG ISLAND SOUND AND THE BACK BAYS ALONG THE
OCEAN WATERS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE DAY TUESDAY AS
ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM OVER THE GREAT LAKES MOVES ACROSS THE AREA.
MINOR ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
REPORTS OF SNOWFALL AND ANY COASTAL FLOODING WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Rockland

When: March 1, 1:00 AM EST to 7:30 AM EST
Where: Rockland forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.152, -74.024 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southern Westchester

When: March 1, 1:00 AM EST to 7:30 AM EST
Where: Southern Westchester forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.152, -73.753 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Putnam

When: March 1, 2:00 AM EST to 8:15 AM EST
Where: Putnam forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.427, -73.749 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Northern Westchester

When: March 1, 2:00 AM EST to 7:45 AM EST
Where: Northern Westchester forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.152, -73.753 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, New York (Manhattan)

When: March 1, 6:00 AM EST
Where: New York (Manhattan) forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.774, -73.970 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Richmond (Staten Is.)

When: March 1, 6:00 AM EST
Where: Richmond (Staten Is.) forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.583, -74.150 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Kings (Brooklyn)

When: March 1, 6:00 AM EST
Where: Kings (Brooklyn) forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.634, -73.950 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Queens

When: March 1, 6:30 AM EST
Where: Queens forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow, Northwest Suffolk

When: March 1, 7:00 AM EST
Where: Northwest Suffolk forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.941, -72.685 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Northeast Suffolk

When: March 1, 7:30 AM EST
Where: Northeast Suffolk forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.941, -72.685 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southeast Suffolk

When: March 1, 7:30 AM EST
Where: Southeast Suffolk forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.941, -72.685 (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

Every storm in New York in 2005 Every state in 2005 This day in weather history Warnings in New York, March 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5442551, 5442552, 5442553, 5442554, 5442555, 5442556, 5442557, 5442558, 5442559, 5442560, 5442561.