Heavy Snow, Northern Erie
- When
- February 5, 7:38 AM EST to 5:30 PM EST
- Where
- Northern Erie forecast zone
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.758, -78.780 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow in New York, February 5 to 7, 2006
A cold front swept across the area and as the cold air deepened, lake effect snows developed. Off Lake Erie, the strong westerly winds reduced visibilities to 1/2 a mile at times and pushed the lake effect snows well inland into parts of Livingston and Ontario counties.
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $120,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 10
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.
A cold front swept across the area and as the cold air deepened, lake effect snows developed. Off Lake Erie, the strong westerly winds reduced visibilities to 1/2 a mile at times and pushed the lake effect snows well inland into parts of Livingston and Ontario counties. Specific snow amounts totaled during the 60-hour storm included: off Lake Erie 26" at Warsaw; 24" at South Dayton; 23" at Perrysburg; 18" at Chaffee; 12" at Angelica; and 10" at Friendship. Off Lake Ontario snow totals reported: 33" at Hooker; 16" at North Osceola; 15" at Lowville; 10" at Highmarket and 6" at West Monroe.
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 Buffalo, NY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 5, 7:00 AM EST, 38 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 5, 7:00 AM EST, 38 minutes before
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</html>Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 5, 4:25 AM EST, 3 hours 13 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY 425 AM EST SUN FEB 5 2006 NYZ012-019-020-085-060930- WYOMING-CHAUTAUQUA-CATTARAUGUS-SOUTHERN ERIE- 425 AM EST SUN FEB 5 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEW YORK AND THE ADJOINING WATERS OF LAKE ERIE...LAKE ONTARIO... AND THE SAINT LAWRENCE RIVER. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT. AREAS OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW WILL DEVELOP THIS MORNING. ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE TODAY WITH ANOTHER 3 TO 5 INCHES OVERNIGHT. THE LAKE SNOWS WILL COMBINE WITH STRONG WINDS GUSTING UP TO 45 MPH TO PRODUCE BLOWING SNOW AND POOR VISIBILITIES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THE WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH 7 PM TUESDAY AS AREAS OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW WILL CONTINUE IN A COLD NORTHWEST FLOW THROUGH MIDWEEK. SIGNIFICANT SNOW TOTALS ARE EXPECTED BEFORE THE LAKE SNOWS WIND DOWN. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SNOW SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALLS. THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WATCHES...WARNINGS...ADVISORIES... AND STATEMENTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BUFFALO CAN BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET AT THE FOLLOWING (LOWER CASE): HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BUF NYZ010-011-060930- NORTHERN ERIE-GENESEE- 425 AM EST SUN FEB 5 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEW YORK AND THE ADJOINING WATERS OF LAKE ERIE...LAKE ONTARIO... AND THE SAINT LAWRENCE RIVER. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 6 PM THIS EVENING. AREAS OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW WILL DEVELOP THIS MORNING. ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE TODAY. THE LAKE SNOWS WILL COMBINE WITH STRONG WINDS GUSTING UP TO 45 MPH TO PRODUCE BLOWING SNOW AND POOR VISIBILITIES. AS WINDS SHIFT TO WEST TO NORTHWEST THE LAKE SNOWS WILL DRIFT SOUTH OF THE AREA THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SNOW SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALLS. THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WATCHES...WARNINGS...ADVISORIES... AND STATEMENTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BUFFALO CAN BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET AT THE FOLLOWING (LOWER CASE): HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BUF NYZ001-002-060930- NIAGARA-ORLEANS- 425 AM EST SUN FEB 5 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEW YORK AND THE ADJOINING WATERS OF LAKE ERIE...LAKE ONTARIO... AND THE SAINT LAWRENCE RIVER. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT. AREAS OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW WILL DEVELOP THIS MORNING. ACCUMULATIONS OF AN INCH OR SO ARE POSSIBLE. THE LAKE SNOWS WILL COMBINE WITH STRONG WINDS GUSTING UP TO 45 MPH TO PRODUCE BLOWING SNOW AND POOR VISIBILITIES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SNOW SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOW FALL TOTALS. THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WATCHES...WARNINGS...ADVISORIES... AND STATEMENTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BUFFALO CAN BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET AT THE FOLLOWING (LOWER CASE): HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BUF NYZ006>008-060930- OSWEGO-JEFFERSON-LEWIS- 425 AM EST SUN FEB 5 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEW YORK AND THE ADJOINING WATERS OF LAKE ERIE...LAKE ONTARIO... AND THE SAINT LAWRENCE RIVER. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT. AREAS OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW WILL DEVELOP THIS MORNING. ACCUMULATIONS OF AROUND AN INCH ARE POSSIBLE TODAY WITH ANOTHER 3 TO 5 INCHES OVERNIGHT. THE LAKE SNOWS WILL COMBINE WITH STRONG WINDS GUSTING UP TO 45 MPH TO PRODUCE BLOWING SNOW AND POOR VISIBILITIES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THE LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY AS AREAS OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW WILL CONTINUE IN A COLD NORTHWEST FLOW THROUGH MIDWEEK. SIGNIFICANT SNOW TOTALS ARE EXPECTED BEFORE THE LAKE SNOWS WIND DOWN. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SNOW SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALLS. THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WATCHES...WARNINGS...ADVISORIES... AND STATEMENTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BUFFALO CAN BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET AT THE FOLLOWING (LOWER CASE): HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BUF NYZ003>005-013-014-021-060930- MONROE-WAYNE-NORTHERN CAYUGA-LIVINGSTON-ONTARIO-ALLEGANY- 425 AM EST SUN FEB 5 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEW YORK. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED. THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WATCHES...WARNINGS...ADVISORIES... AND STATEMENTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BUFFALO CAN BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET AT THE FOLLOWING (LOWER CASE): HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BUF LEZ020-040-041-061-060930- UPPER NIAGARA RIVER AND BUFFALO HARBOR- LAKE ERIE NEARSHORE WATERS FROM RIPLEY TO DUNKIRK- LAKE ERIE NEARSHORE WATERS FROM DUNKIRK TO BUFFALO- LAKE ERIE OPEN WATERS FROM RIPLEY TO BUFFALO- 425 AM EST SUN FEB 5 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEW YORK AND THE ADJOINING WATERS OF LAKE ERIE...LAKE ONTARIO... AND THE SAINT LAWRENCE RIVER. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED. THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WATCHES...WARNINGS...ADVISORIES... AND STATEMENTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BUFFALO CAN BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET AT THE FOLLOWING (LOWER CASE): HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BUF LOZ042>045-062>065-060930- LAKE ONTARIO NEARSHORE WATERS FROM THE NIAGARA RIVER TO HAMLIN BEACH- LAKE ONTARIO NEARSHORE WATERS FROM HAMLIN BEACH TO SODUS BAY- LAKE ONTARIO NEARSHORE WATERS FROM SODUS BAY TO MEXICO BAY- LAKE ONTARIO NEARSHORE WATERS FROM MEXICO BAY TO THE SAINT LAWRENCE RIVER- LAKE ONTARIO OPEN WATERS FROM THE NIAGARA RIVER TO HAMLIN BEACH- LAKE ONTARIO OPEN WATERS FROM HAMLIN BEACH TO SODUS BAY- LAKE ONTARIO OPEN WATERS FROM SODUS BAY TO MEXICO BAY- LAKE ONTARIO OPEN WATERS FROM MEXICO BAY TO THE SAINT LAWRENCE RIVER- 412 AM EST SUN FEB 5 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEW YORK AND THE ADJOINING WATERS OF LAKE ERIE...LAKE ONTARIO... AND THE SAINT LAWRENCE RIVER. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A GALE WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. AS THE LOW OVER SOUTHERN ONTARIO LIFTS NORTHEAST TO QUEBEC WINDS WILL SUBSIDE BELOW GALE WARNING CRITERIA OVERNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED. THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WATCHES...WARNINGS...ADVISORIES... AND STATEMENTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BUFFALO CAN BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET AT THE FOLLOWING (LOWER CASE): HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BUF SLZ022-024-060930- SAINT LAWRENCE RIVER FROM CAPE VINCENT TO OGDENSBURG- SAINT LAWRENCE RIVER FROM OGDENSBURG TO SAINT REGIS- 425 AM EST SUN FEB 5 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEW YORK AND THE ADJOINING WATERS OF LAKE ERIE...LAKE ONTARIO... AND THE SAINT LAWRENCE RIVER. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED. THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WATCHES...WARNINGS...ADVISORIES... AND STATEMENTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BUFFALO CAN BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET AT THE FOLLOWING (LOWER CASE): HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BUF
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
10 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy Snow, Genesee
- When
- February 5, 7:38 AM EST to 5:30 PM EST
- Where
- Genesee forecast zone
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 43.001, -78.194 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Cattaraugus
- When
- February 5, 7:30 PM EST to February 7, 3:00 PM EST
- Where
- Cattaraugus forecast zone
- Property damage
- $15,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.249, -78.679 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Chautauqua
- When
- February 5, 10:15 PM EST to February 7, 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- Chautauqua forecast zone
- Property damage
- $15,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.303, -79.406 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Lewis
- When
- February 6, 6:35 AM EST to February 7, 2:00 AM EST
- Where
- Lewis forecast zone
- Property damage
- $15,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 43.785, -75.449 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Wyoming
- When
- February 6, 7:55 AM EST to February 7, 5:00 AM EST
- Where
- Wyoming forecast zone
- Property damage
- $15,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.702, -78.224 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Oswego
- When
- February 6, 9:00 AM EST to February 7, 3:00 PM EST
- Where
- Oswego forecast zone
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 43.464, -76.209 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Southern Erie
- When
- February 6, 12:40 PM EST to February 7, 3:00 PM EST
- Where
- Southern Erie forecast zone
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.758, -78.780 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Jefferson
- When
- February 6, 7:08 PM EST to 11:30 PM EST
- Where
- Jefferson forecast zone
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 43.999, -76.052 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Northern Cayuga
- When
- February 7, 8:16 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
- Where
- Northern Cayuga forecast zone
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 43.010, -76.574 (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
- Winter Storm in Pennsylvania, February 5, 2006
- Winter Weather in Alaska, February 5 to 6, 2006
- Heavy Snow in Alaska, February 5 to 6, 2006
- Winter Storm in Michigan, February 5 to 6, 2006
- High Surf in Hawaii, February 5 to 11, 2006
- Winter Storm in Michigan, February 5, 2006
- Blizzard and High Wind in Alaska, February 5 to 6, 2006
- Heavy Snow in New York, February 5 to 7, 2006
- High Wind in Colorado, February 5, 2006
- High Wind in Colorado, February 5, 2006
- Winter Storm in Pennsylvania, February 5 to 6, 2006
- Avalanche in Alaska, February 5, 2006
More
Every storm in New York in 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, February 2006
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: 5489784, 5489785, 5489779, 5489778, 5489783, 5489777, 5489781, 5489780, 5489782, 5489786.