New York, 2015

Winter Weather in New York, December 28 to 29, 2015

December 28 to 29, 2015 · NWS ALY · 27 events in 27 counties and zones

A warm front approached the region from the south during the late evening hours on Monday, December 28th. Initially, precipitation began as a quick burst of snow, but with warmer air moving into the region aloft, the precipitation quickly changed to a wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain for much of the overnight hours.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 27 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
27

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 warm front approached the region from the south during the late evening hours on Monday, December 28th. Initially, precipitation began as a quick burst of snow, but with warmer air moving into the region aloft, the precipitation quickly changed to a wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain for much of the overnight hours. After sunrise, the precipitation became light in intensity and fell mainly as freezing rain during the day on Tuesday, December 29th. Areas south and west of the Capital Region changed to plain rain around Noon before precipitation ended by the afternoon hours.

Most areas saw 1 to 3 inches of snow and sleet, with a few northern areas in Herkimer, Hamilton, Saratoga and Warren Counties receiving close to 4 inches. A light glaze of ice fell on top of the snow and sleet in most places, with up to two tenths in some areas.

As a result of the wintry precipitation, many car accidents were reported throughout the region. One of the accidents resulted in a fatality on Interstate 90 during the early morning hours on Tuesday, December 29th. About a dozen flights were cancelled at Albany International Airport as a result of the wintry precipitation and about 300 customers briefly lost power throughout the area.

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 Dec 28, 6:54 PM EST, 2 hours 6 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 28, 6:54 PM EST, 2 hours 6 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 28, 4:02 PM EST, 4 hours 58 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
402 PM EST MON DEC 28 2015

CTZ001-013-MAZ001-025-NYZ039>043-047>054-058>061-063>066-082>084-
VTZ013>015-291200-
NORTHERN LITCHFIELD-SOUTHERN LITCHFIELD-NORTHERN BERKSHIRE-
SOUTHERN BERKSHIRE-SOUTHERN FULTON-MONTGOMERY-NORTHERN SARATOGA-
NORTHERN WARREN-NORTHERN WASHINGTON-SCHOHARIE-WESTERN SCHENECTADY-
EASTERN SCHENECTADY-SOUTHERN SARATOGA-WESTERN ALBANY-EASTERN ALBANY-
WESTERN RENSSELAER-EASTERN RENSSELAER-WESTERN GREENE-EASTERN GREENE-
WESTERN COLUMBIA-EASTERN COLUMBIA-WESTERN ULSTER-EASTERN ULSTER-
WESTERN DUTCHESS-EASTERN DUTCHESS-NORTHERN FULTON-SOUTHEAST WARREN-
SOUTHERN WASHINGTON-BENNINGTON-WESTERN WINDHAM-EASTERN WINDHAM-
402 PM EST MON DEC 28 2015

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 7 PM
EST TUESDAY...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWESTERN
CONNECTICUT...WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS...ALL OF EAST CENTRAL NEW
YORK EXCEPT FOR HERKIMER AND HAMILTON COUNTIES...AND SOUTHERN
VERMONT.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO SEND ANY MEASUREMENTS OF SNOW AND SLEET AND
ANY MEASUREMENTS OF ICE ACCRETION FROM FREEZING RAIN TO THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

NYZ032-033-038-291200-
NORTHERN HERKIMER-HAMILTON-SOUTHERN HERKIMER-
402 PM EST MON DEC 28 2015

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 7 PM
EST TUESDAY...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR HERKIMER AND HAMILTON
COUNTIES IN EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY.

IN ADDITION...A PERIOD OF ACCUMULATING LAKE EFFECT SNOW IS
POSSIBLE FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND. THE EXACT TIMING AND AMOUNTS
WILL DEPEND ON THE ORIENTATION AND INLAND EXTENT OF THE SNOW
BANDS...WHICH IS STILL DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE AT THIS TIME. LAKE
EFFECT SNOW WATCHES...WARNINGS OR ADVISORIES COULD BE NEEDED
DURING THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO SEND ANY MEASUREMENTS OF SNOW AND SLEET AND
ANY MEASUREMENTS OF ICE ACCRETION FROM FREEZING RAIN TO THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

27 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Southern Herkimer

When
December 28, 9:00 PM EST to December 29, 7:00 PM EST
Where
Southern Herkimer forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.420, -74.962 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Montgomery

When
December 28, 9:00 PM EST to December 29, 7:00 PM EST
Where
Montgomery forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.902, -74.440 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Schoharie

When
December 28, 9:00 PM EST to December 29, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Schoharie forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.588, -74.442 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Western Greene

When
December 28, 9:00 PM EST to December 29, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Western Greene forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.277, -74.123 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Western Ulster

When
December 28, 9:00 PM EST to December 29, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Western Ulster forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.888, -74.259 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Eastern Ulster

When
December 28, 9:00 PM EST to December 29, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Eastern Ulster forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.888, -74.259 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Western Dutchess

When
December 28, 9:00 PM EST to December 29, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Western Dutchess forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.765, -73.743 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Eastern Dutchess

When
December 28, 10:00 PM EST to December 29, 12:00 PM 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 Weather, Western Columbia

When
December 28, 10:00 PM EST to December 29, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Western Columbia forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.250, -73.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Eastern Greene

When
December 28, 10:00 PM EST to December 29, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Eastern Greene forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.277, -74.123 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Eastern Columbia

When
December 28, 10:00 PM EST to December 29, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Eastern Columbia forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.250, -73.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Western Albany

When
December 28, 10:00 PM EST to December 29, 7:00 PM EST
Where
Western Albany forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.600, -73.974 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Eastern Albany

When
December 28, 10:00 PM EST to December 29, 7:00 PM EST
Where
Eastern Albany forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.600, -73.974 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Western Rensselaer

When
December 28, 10:00 PM EST to December 29, 7:00 PM EST
Where
Western Rensselaer forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.711, -73.510 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Eastern Rensselaer

When
December 28, 10:00 PM EST to December 29, 7:00 PM EST
Where
Eastern Rensselaer forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.711, -73.510 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Western Schenectady

When
December 28, 10:00 PM EST to December 29, 7:00 PM EST
Where
Western Schenectady forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.818, -74.059 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Eastern Schenectady

When
December 28, 10:00 PM EST to December 29, 7:00 PM EST
Where
Eastern Schenectady forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.818, -74.059 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Southern Saratoga

When
December 28, 10:00 PM EST to December 29, 7:00 PM EST
Where
Southern Saratoga forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.107, -73.864 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Southern Fulton

When
December 28, 10:00 PM EST to December 29, 7:00 PM EST
Where
Southern Fulton forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.114, -74.422 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Northern Fulton

When
December 28, 10:00 PM EST to December 29, 7:00 PM EST
Where
Northern Fulton forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.114, -74.422 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Northern Herkimer

When
December 28, 10:00 PM EST to December 29, 7:00 PM EST
Where
Northern Herkimer forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.420, -74.962 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Northern Saratoga

When
December 28, 10:00 PM EST to December 29, 7:00 PM EST
Where
Northern Saratoga forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.107, -73.864 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Southern Washington

When
December 28, 10:00 PM EST to December 29, 7:00 PM EST
Where
Southern Washington forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.314, -73.431 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Southeast Warren

When
December 28, 11:00 PM EST to December 29, 7:00 PM EST
Where
Southeast Warren forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.561, -73.846 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Hamilton

When
December 28, 11:00 PM EST to December 29, 7:00 PM EST
Where
Hamilton forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.661, -74.497 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Northern Warren

When
December 28, 11:00 PM EST to December 29, 7:00 PM EST
Where
Northern Warren forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.561, -73.846 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Northern Washington

When
December 28, 11:00 PM EST to December 29, 7:00 PM EST
Where
Northern Washington forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.314, -73.431 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New York in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 606613, 606614, 606615, 606616, 606617, 606618, 606619, 606620, 606621, 606622, 606623, 606624, 606625, 606626, 606627, 606628, 606629, 606630, 606631, 606632, 606633, 606634, 606635, 606636, 606637, 606638, 606639.