New York, 2016

Lake-Effect Snow in New York, January 10 to 11, 2016

January 10 to 11, 2016 · NWS ALY · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Behind a strong cold front, colder air rushed into the region aloft. The combination of this cold air aloft and the warmer water of Lake Ontario allowed a band of lake-effect snow to develop.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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 strong cold front, colder air rushed into the region aloft. The combination of this cold air aloft and the warmer water of Lake Ontario allowed a band of lake-effect snow to develop. With a persistent westerly flow in place, this band remained nearly stationary over the same locations over northern Herkimer County and western Hamilton County between the late evening hours on Sunday, January 10th through much of the day on Monday, January 11th.

As a result, 10 to 19 inches of snow accumulated near Old Forge, Inlet, Eagle Bay and Stillwater Reservoir. The snow ended by the late evening on Monday, January 11th as the band started to diminish, as it moved southward and away from 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 Jan 10, 9:31 PM EST, 1 hour 29 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 10, 9:31 PM EST, 1 hour 29 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

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

Lake-Effect Snow, Northern Herkimer

When
January 10, 11:00 PM EST to January 11, 10:00 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)

Lake-Effect Snow, Hamilton

When
January 10, 11:00 PM EST to January 11, 10:00 PM EST
Where
Hamilton forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.661, -74.497 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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, January 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: 609135, 609136.