New York, 2016

Lake-Effect Snow in New York, December 29 to 30, 2016

December 29 to 30, 2016 · NWS ALY · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Behind a departing coastal storm, much colder air poured into the region thanks to a northwesterly flow out of Canada. As these winds passed over the relatively warm waters of Lake Ontario, bands of lake-effect snow developed.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
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  • Floods
  • Wind
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  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

Behind a departing coastal storm, much colder air poured into the region thanks to a northwesterly flow out of Canada. As these winds passed over the relatively warm waters of Lake Ontario, bands of lake-effect snow developed. These bands began over the western Mohawk Valley during the late evening hours on Thursday, December 29th and continued through the early morning hours. During the day on Friday, December 30th, periods of snow were locally heavy at times. The lake-effect snow finally tapered down during the evening hours on Friday, December 30th. By that times, around 16 inches had occurred in the town of West Winfield in southern Herkimer County. This heavy snowfall was very localized, as some areas just a short distance away saw much lower amounts.

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 29, 4:08 PM EST, 6 hours 52 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 29, 4:08 PM EST, 6 hours 52 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 29, 4:12 PM EST, 6 hours 48 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 29, 5:53 PM EST, 5 hours 7 minutes before
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Local storm report, Dec 29, 6:00 PM EST, 5 hours before
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Local storm report, Dec 29, 6:36 PM EST, 4 hours 24 minutes before
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Local storm report, Dec 29, 6:37 PM EST, 4 hours 23 minutes before
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Local storm report, Dec 29, 6:38 PM EST, 4 hours 22 minutes before
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Local storm report, Dec 29, 6:46 PM EST, 4 hours 14 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

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

Lake-Effect Snow, Southern Herkimer

When
December 29, 11:00 PM EST to December 30, 10:30 PM EST
Where
Southern Herkimer forecast zone
Reported by
Social Media
Coordinates
43.420, -74.962 (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 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, December 2016

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: 668196.