Winter Storm in New York, October 29 to 30, 2011

Name: Winter Storm in New York, October 29 to 30, 2011
Start: 2011-10-29T11:00
End: 2011-10-30T04:30
Location: New York

October 29 to 30, 2011 · NWS ALY · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

An early season Nor'easter dumped heavy wet snow on east central New York mainly to the south and east of the Capital District with snowfall amounts dropping off rapidly to the north and west. The storm tapped both Atlantic and subtropical moisture.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 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 ALY wrote it up.

A colder air mass was brought into the region on Thursday, October 27th, as an area of low pressure moved eastward along a frontal boundary to our south. This weak system produced our first snowfall of season. Low pressure began to develop along the southeast coast Friday night. The low tracked along or just north of the Gulf Stream and rapidly deepened and intensified (cyclogenesis) as it moved northeastward on Saturday, October 29th. The storm passed just southeast of Cape Cod early Sunday morning, October 30th, then headed northeastward into the Canadian Maritimes during the day.

Snowfall amounts ranged from as little 1 to 4 inches across the northern portion of the Capital District, to 5 to 10 inches in the Hudson Valley including the southern portion of the Capital District, with 10 to 16 inches in the eastern Catskills, and 12 inches to almost 2 feet across the Taconics. Snow ratios across the area varied with lower ratios in the Hudson River Valley and higher ratio across the higher terrain.

Power outages occurred as trees and wires came down due to the heavy snow. The outages were the most widespread and prolonged in areas where leaves were still on the trees. Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for 13 New York counties including Albany, Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Rensselaer and Ulster. Central Hudson Gas and Electric reported more than 115,000 homes and business lost power in Dutchess and Ulster counties. They reported 13 transmission lines, 31 distribution circuits and 4 sub-stations were out of service due to damage. Utility workers from outside the area were brought in to help with the restoration of power. Warming centers and overnight shelters were opened. About 13,000 lost power in Rensselaer and Albany counties.

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 Albany, NY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 28, 5:54 PM EST, 17 hours 6 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 28, 5:54 PM EST, 17 hours 6 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 28, 3:28 PM EST, 19 hours 32 minutes before

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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Eastern Dutchess

When: October 29, 11:00 AM EST to October 30, 3:15 AM EST
Where: Eastern Dutchess forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 41.765, -73.743 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Western Dutchess

When: October 29, 11:00 AM EST to October 30, 3:15 AM EST
Where: Western Dutchess forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 41.765, -73.743 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Eastern Ulster

When: October 29, 11:00 AM EST to October 30, 12:00 AM EST
Where: Eastern Ulster forecast zone
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 41.888, -74.259 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Western Ulster

When: October 29, 11:00 AM EST to October 30, 12:00 AM EST
Where: Western Ulster forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 41.888, -74.259 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Western Greene

When: October 29, 12:00 PM EST to October 30, 12:00 AM EST
Where: Western Greene forecast zone
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 42.277, -74.123 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Eastern Greene

When: October 29, 12:00 PM EST to October 30, 12:00 AM EST
Where: Eastern Greene forecast zone
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 42.277, -74.123 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Western Columbia

When: October 29, 12:00 PM EST to October 30, 4:30 AM EST
Where: Western Columbia forecast zone
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 42.250, -73.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Eastern Columbia

When: October 29, 12:00 PM EST to October 30, 4:30 AM EST
Where: Eastern Columbia forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 42.250, -73.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Western Rensselaer

When: October 29, 2:00 PM EST to October 30, 12:00 AM EST
Where: Western Rensselaer forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 42.711, -73.510 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Eastern Rensselaer

When: October 29, 2:00 PM EST to October 30, 4:30 AM EST
Where: Eastern Rensselaer forecast zone
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 42.711, -73.510 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Western Albany

When: October 29, 2:00 PM EST to October 30, 12:00 AM EST
Where: Western Albany forecast zone
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 42.600, -73.974 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in New York in 2011 Every state in 2011 This day in weather history Warnings in New York, October 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: 350384, 350385, 350386, 350969, 350388, 350389, 350390, 350971, 350392, 350393, 350394.