New York, 2015

Lake-Effect Snow in New York, January 8 to 10, 2015

January 8 to 10, 2015 · NWS BUF · 8 events in 7 counties and zones

A band of lake effect snow moved north across the Buffalo Metro area around Noon Thursday (8th). As it received the full effect of the still wide open and relatively warm waters of Lake Erie, it stalled and intensified for a few hours before continuing further north and weakening later in the afternoon.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$140,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

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.

A band of lake effect snow moved north across the Buffalo Metro area around Noon Thursday (8th). As it received the full effect of the still wide open and relatively warm waters of Lake Erie, it stalled and intensified for a few hours before continuing further north and weakening later in the afternoon. During this time, visibilities dropped to zero along with wind gusts to 45 mph. This created brief blizzard-like conditions while dropping a quick 2-4 inches of snow. Luckily, this occurred between commuting times, and by the evening the band had dramatically weakened over primarily Niagara County. Following the passage of a surface trough a heavy band developed over the Niagara Peninsula around 2am, quickly moving across Niagara County, and then over the Buffalo Metro area for the remainder of the night. This portion of the event produced snow rates near 3 inches per hour during the morning commute. A portion of the New York State Thruway was closed. During Friday morning, the band moved quickly south and lost its connection to Lake Erie for several hours until a new band started to form around noon over the Western Southern Tier. This band grew stronger throughout the day, and by the evening snow rates of three to four inches per hour were once again reported in a 15-20 mile wide swatch, this time primarily along and south of Route 20A, affecting the Southtowns and ski country. Many area roadways remained closed. By Saturday morning, some areas in the Southtowns had received as much as 20 inches of snow, most of it occurring in about a 6 hour period. During Saturday, the band quickly weakened as it headed quickly to the north where if finally fell completely apart by nightfall. Specific snowfall reported included: 23 inches at Attica, 21 inches at Wyoming and Perrysburg, 20 inches at East Aurora and Boston, 19 inches at Hamburg, 13 inches at Buffalo International Airport, 12 inches at North Tonawanda, and 8 inches at Corfu and Medina.

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 8, 12:47 PM EST, 2 hours 13 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 8, 12:47 PM EST, 2 hours 13 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 8, 2:31 PM EST, 29 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jan 8, 10:15 AM EST, 4 hours 45 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
1015 AM EST THU JAN 8 2015

NYZ010-011-085-081615-
ERIE NY-GENESEE NY-
1015 AM EST THU JAN 8 2015

...A HEAVY LAKE EFFECT SNOW BAND WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTH ACROSS
THE GREATER BUFFALO AREA...

* AT 1008 AM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  LAKE EFFECT SNOW BAND CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SNOWFALL RATES OF UP TO
  2 INCHES PER HOUR...AND VISIBILITY OF A HALF MILE OR LESS. THIS
  LAKE EFFECT SNOW BAND WAS LOCATED ACROSS THE BUFFALO METRO AREA
  AND WILL MOVE SLOWLY NORTH THROUGH NOON.

* SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED BY THE LAKE EFFECT SNOW BAND INCLUDE...
  THE CITY OF BUFFALO...
  AMHERST...
  CLARENCE...
  WILLIAMSVILLE AND LANCASTER...
  HARRIS HILL...
  ALDEN...
  AKRON...
  TONAWANDA...

THIS INCLUDES THE NEW YORK THRUWAY BETWEEN EXITS 49 AND 56.

DRIVING WITHIN THIS SNOW BAND WILL BE DIFFICULT WITH SNOW COVERED
AND SLIPPERY ROADWAYS. IF TRAVELING ACROSS THE AREA SLOW DOWN AND BE
PREPARED FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING ROAD AND WEATHER CONDITIONS.

LAT...LON 4308 7837 4295 7829 4278 7887 4279 7886
      4282 7888 4284 7887 4285 7889 4290 7891
      4293 7891

TMA
Special weather statement, Jan 8, 11:22 AM EST, 3 hours 38 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
1122 AM EST THU JAN 8 2015

NYZ001-002-010-011-081715-
ERIE NY-GENESEE NY-NIAGARA NY-ORLEANS NY-
1122 AM EST THU JAN 8 2015

...A HEAVY LAKE EFFECT SNOW BAND WILL CONTINUE TO IMPACT THE BUFFALO
METRO AREA AND NORTHTOWNS THROUGH 1230 PM...

* AT 1115 AM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  LAKE EFFECT SNOW BAND CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SNOWFALL RATES OF UP TO
  2 INCHES PER HOUR...AND VISIBILITY OF A QUARTER OF A MILE OR
  LESS. THIS LAKE EFFECT SNOW BAND WAS LOCATED FROM THE CITY OF
  BUFFALO AND BUFFALO AIRPORT NORTHWARD ACROSS AMHERST...THE
  TONAWANDAS...TO CLARENCE.

* SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED BY THE LAKE EFFECT SNOW BAND INCLUDE...
  CLARENCE AND AKRON...
  KENMORE AND TONAWANDA...
  CHEEKTOWAGA...
  WILLIAMSVILLE AND NORTH TONAWANDA...
  AMHERST AND HARRIS HILL...
  PENDLETON...
  WOLCOTTSVILLE...

THIS INCLUDES THE NEW YORK THRUWAY BETWEEN EXITS 49 AND 52.

* ADDITIONALLY...WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH AND SNOWFALL WILL CREATE
AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.

THIS BAND WILL CONTINUE TO DRIFT NORTHWARD AND WEAKEN THROUGH EARLY
THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL HAVE LITTLE IF ANY IMPACT ON THE EVENING
COMMUTE.

DRIVING WITHIN THIS SNOW BAND WILL BE DIFFICULT AT TIMES WITH SNOW
COVERED AND SLIPPERY ROADWAYS. IF TRAVELING ACROSS THE AREA SLOW DOWN
AND BE PREPARED FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING ROAD AND WEATHER CONDITIONS.

LAT...LON 4307 7901 4320 7846 4307 7834 4284 7888
      4287 7890 4294 7892 4295 7897 4299 7903
      4302 7903
Special weather statement, Jan 8, 12:34 PM EST, 2 hours 26 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

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

Lake-Effect Snow, Northern Erie

When
January 8, 3:00 PM EST to January 9, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Northern Erie forecast zone
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
Social Media
Coordinates
42.758, -78.780 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Genesee

When
January 8, 3:00 PM EST to January 9, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Genesee forecast zone
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
43.001, -78.194 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Wyoming

When
January 8, 10:00 PM EST to January 10, 6:00 AM EST
Where
Wyoming forecast zone
Property damage
$25,000
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
42.702, -78.224 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Cattaraugus

When
January 8, 10:00 PM EST to January 10, 6:00 AM EST
Where
Cattaraugus forecast zone
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
42.249, -78.679 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Southern Erie

When
January 8, 10:00 PM EST to January 10, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Southern Erie forecast zone
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
42.758, -78.780 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Niagara

When
January 8, 11:00 PM EST to January 9, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Niagara forecast zone
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
43.173, -78.691 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Orleans

When
January 8, 11:00 PM EST to January 9, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Orleans forecast zone
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
43.251, -78.189 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Northern Erie

When
January 9, 8:00 PM EST to January 10, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Northern Erie forecast zone
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
Department of Highways
Coordinates
42.758, -78.780 (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: 557565, 557566, 557562, 557563, 557564, 557567, 557568, 557569.