Lake-Effect Snow, Northern Herkimer
- When
- December 12, 7:00 PM EST to December 13, 11:00 AM EST
- Where
- Northern Herkimer forecast zone
- Reported by
- COOP Observer
- Coordinates
- 43.420, -74.962 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lake-Effect Snow in New York, December 12 to 13, 2013
Due to very cold air moving off the relatively warmer waters of Lake Ontario, a band of heavy lake effect snow developed during the evening of Thursday, December 12th. This snow band strengthened and reached as far east as northern Herkimer and extreme western Hamilton Counties.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 2
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.
Due to very cold air moving off the relatively warmer waters of Lake Ontario, a band of heavy lake effect snow developed during the evening of Thursday, December 12th. This snow band strengthened and reached as far east as northern Herkimer and extreme western Hamilton Counties. It continued during much of the overnight hours. Late in the night, it began to shift southward and started to weaken. Up to 7 of snow was reported in Inlet in Hamilton County and 8 in the Old Forge/Big Moose area by the morning of Friday, December 13th.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
2 lake-effect snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Lake-Effect Snow, Hamilton
- When
- December 12, 7:00 PM EST to December 13, 11:00 AM EST
- Where
- Hamilton forecast zone
- Reported by
- COOP Observer
- Coordinates
- 43.661, -74.497 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
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 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, December 2013
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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 480626, 480627.