Lake-Effect Snow in New York, December 18 to 20, 2015

Name: Lake-Effect Snow in New York, December 18 to 20, 2015
Start: 2015-12-18T17:00
End: 2015-12-20T03:00
Location: New York

December 18 to 20, 2015 · NWS BUF · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

Low pressure moved across the western Great Lakes then north to James Bay. Behind the storm system, a cold westerly flow developed across the eastern Great Lakes.

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
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Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $64,000
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 BUF wrote it up.

Low pressure moved across the western Great Lakes then north to James Bay. Behind the storm system, a cold westerly flow developed across the eastern Great Lakes. Lake effect snow developed off both Lakes Erie and Ontario. |Off Lake Erie, southwest winds initially brought these clusters of lake effect snow inland across metro Buffalo area in the early afternoon hours. The winds backed enough such that the snow reached metro Buffalo and bringing the Buffalo airport its first measurable snowfall of the season. Winds veered during the evening hours and moved the intensifying band of snow southward. Early in the evening Friday thunder snow occurred along with snowfall rates increasing to an inch per hour across the Southtowns. These snowfall rates would increase upwards of an inch and a half per hour over Ski County Friday night when the band of snow was most intense. Later in the night the band of snow weakened and became disorganized. Through the morning hours of Saturday this band of snow continued to weaken producing another inch or so of snow east of the lake. Specific snowfall reports included: 12 inches at Perrysburg, Franklinville and Little Valley and 10 inches at Arkwright.|Off Lake Ontario the westerly flow along the lake brought the band of snow across the Tug Hill region. The snow began to develop albeit loosely organized Friday evening into the early overnight hours. By later in the night the band of snow organized into a more impressive plume of snow yielding snowfall rates up to three inches per hour across inland Oswego County and southern Lewis County. Saturday morning the band of snow off Lake Ontario was reaching peak intensity before a more northwesterly flow brought the band of snow southward across Oswego County late in the day Saturday. Through the day on Sunday as high pressure built across the area the snow band tracked northward and weakened. Specific snowfall reports included: 36 inches as Lyonsdale; 35 inches at Constableville; 34 inches at Highmarket; 20 inches at Redfield and 18 inches at Altmar.

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 Dec 18, 3:35 PM EST, 1 hour 25 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 18, 3:35 PM EST, 1 hour 25 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 18, 9:33 AM EST, 7 hours 27 minutes before

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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Dec 18, 3:48 PM EST, 1 hour 12 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

4 lake-effect snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Lake-Effect Snow, Chautauqua

When: December 18, 5:00 PM EST to December 19, 7:00 PM EST
Where: Chautauqua forecast zone
Property damage: $16,000
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.303, -79.406 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Cattaraugus

When: December 18, 5:00 PM EST to December 19, 7:00 PM EST
Where: Cattaraugus forecast zone
Property damage: $16,000
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.249, -78.679 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Oswego

When: December 18, 6:00 PM EST to December 20, 3:00 AM EST
Where: Oswego forecast zone
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.464, -76.209 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Lewis

When: December 18, 6:00 PM EST to December 20, 3:00 AM EST
Where: Lewis forecast zone
Property damage: $12,000
Reported by: Social Media
Coordinates: 43.785, -75.449 (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

Every storm in New York in 2015 Every state in 2015 This day in weather history Warnings in New York, December 2015

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: 612005, 612006, 612007, 612008.