New York, 2015

Lake-Effect Snow in New York, January 6 to 7, 2015

January 6 to 7, 2015 · NWS BUF · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Lake effect snow bands developed Tuesday evening January 6th across the North Country and consolidated into a single intense snow band. The band of snow lingered over the Watertown and northern Jefferson county areas through the evening, dropping between a foot and two feet of snow.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$85,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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.

Lake effect snow bands developed Tuesday evening January 6th across the North Country and consolidated into a single intense snow band. The band of snow lingered over the Watertown and northern Jefferson county areas through the evening, dropping between a foot and two feet of snow. Snowfall rates likely reached five inches per hour as this band of snow dropped towards the Tug Hill region late overnight. An arctic front crossed the North Country in the predawn hours on Wednesday, January 7th, pushing the lake effect snow bands southward towards Oswego by the morning rush hour. Behind the arctic front, cold northwest flow brought an additional several inches of snow to the southern shoreline of Lake Ontario through the day Wednesday, ending early Thursday morning. Specific snowfall reports included: 24 inches at Watertown, 21 inches at Pulaski, 16 inches at Hooker, 15 inches at Theresa, 14 inches at Redfield and 12 inches at Bennetts Bridge.

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 Jan 6, 3:45 PM EST, 1 hour 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 6, 3:45 PM EST, 1 hour 15 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

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

Lake-Effect Snow, Oswego

When
January 6, 5:00 PM EST to January 7, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Oswego forecast zone
Property damage
$35,000
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
43.464, -76.209 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Jefferson

When
January 6, 5:00 PM EST to January 7, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Jefferson forecast zone
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
Social Media
Coordinates
43.999, -76.052 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Lewis

When
January 6, 5:00 PM EST to January 7, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Lewis forecast zone
Property damage
$30,000
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
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

More

Every storm in New York in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, January 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: 557553, 557554, 557555.