A band of lake effect snow dropped south to areas east of Lake Ontario early in the morning of the 22nd, then southward to the New York State Thruway corridor by daybreak. Snow fell heavy at times through the day, before the band lifted back to the north again late in the evening.
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.
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.
The episode as NWS BGM wrote it up.
A band of lake effect snow dropped south to areas east of Lake Ontario early in the morning of the 22nd, then southward to the New York State Thruway corridor by daybreak. Snow fell heavy at times through the day, before the band lifted back to the north again late in the evening. Total snow accumulations ranged from 5 to 10 inches in Oneida County to between 10 and 20 inches in Onondaga and Madison Counties.
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 Binghamton, NY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 21, 6:32 PM EST, 6 hours 28 minutes earlier.
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 lake-effect snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Moderate lake effect snow fell across the county, with amounts in the hardest hit areas ranging from 5 to 10 inches.
Lake effect snow fell across the county, with amounts from the most persistent snow band ranging from 5 to 10 inches.
Heavy lake effect snow fell across the county, with amounts ranging from 5 to almost 19 inches. Lakeport received 18.5 inches.
Heavy lake effect snow fell across the county, with amounts ranging from 7 to about 21 inches. Cicero measured 21.2 inches, Liverpool received 16.7 inches, and Van Buren received 15.1 inches.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New York in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, December 2008
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: 141714, 141716, 141713, 141715.