New York, 2011

Lake-Effect Snow in New York, January 16, 2011

January 16, 2011 · NWS BGM · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

Persistent northwest flow accompanied by a trough of low pressure brought significant lake effect snow to upstate New York. Three hour snowfall amounts of nearly 7 inches were recorded in Cazenovia during this storm.

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
None recorded
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.

Persistent northwest flow accompanied by a trough of low pressure brought significant lake effect snow to upstate New York. Three hour snowfall amounts of nearly 7 inches were recorded in Cazenovia during this storm. Snowfall totals ranged from 7.7 inches in Clay in Onondaga County to 10.5 inches at Point Rock in northern Oneida County. Snowfall totals of 7 to 10 inches were common across northern Onondaga, northern Madison, and central and northern Oneida.

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
January 16, 2:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where
Northern Oneida forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.242, -75.436 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals across the northern part of the county ranged from 5 to 11 inches. Point Rock measured 10.5 inches.

Lake-Effect Snow, Southern Oneida

When
January 16, 2:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where
Southern Oneida forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.242, -75.436 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals across the southern part of the county ranged from 7 to 10 inches.

Lake-Effect Snow, Madison

When
January 16, 2:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where
Madison forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.913, -75.670 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals across the northern part of the county ranged from 7 to 10 inches.

Lake-Effect Snow, Onondaga

When
January 16, 2:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where
Onondaga forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.006, -76.195 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals across the northern part of the county ranged from 7 to 10 inches.

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

More

Every storm in New York in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, January 2011

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: 278448, 278449, 278450, 278451.