Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in New York, December 1 to 3, 2019

Name: Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in New York, December 1 to 3, 2019
Start: 2019-12-01T06:00
End: 2019-12-03T05:04
Location: New York

December 1 to 3, 2019 · NWS ALY · 27 events in 27 counties and zones

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 major winter storm impacted eastern New York and western New England December 1-3, 2019. Snowfall began during the late morning and early afternoon of the 1st ahead of a weakening low pressure system approaching from the western Great Lakes. Snowfall rates of 1-2 per hour occurred from the afternoon into the evening, with the heaviest along the I-90 corridor. As the primary low pressure system weakened, it transferred its energy to a coastal low, which strengthened as it remained nearly stationary for much of the 2nd. This allowed snow to continue to accumulate throughout the day. As the low finally pulled away late on the 2nd into the early morning hours of the 3rd, one final heavy snow band crossed the area before the snow finally pulled out prior to daybreak on the 3rd.

Storm total snowfall amounts were heaviest in the central Mohawk Valley, Helderbergs, northeastern Catskills, and the Capital District, where totals of 18-28 were common. The 22.6 recorded at Albany International Airport made this the 8th largest snowstorm on record, the 4th largest December storm, and the largest since the March 1993 Superstorm. It snowed for 39 hours and 14 minutes consecutively. Many schools were closed for two consecutive days, and numerous flights were delayed or cancelled. The governor declared a state of emergency for several of the hard-hit counties, and deployed the National Guard to assist in cleanup efforts. Speed restrictions were also placed on area interstate highways. Amounts of 8-18 were common elsewhere, except for southern portions of Dutchess County due to warmer temperatures and mixed precipitation, and northern portions of Herkimer, Hamilton, Warren, and Washington Counties which were on the fringe of the heavier precipitation.

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 1, 4:36 AM EST, 1 hour 24 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 1, 4:36 AM EST, 1 hour 24 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 1, 5:34 AM EST, 26 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Albany NY
534 AM EST Sun Dec 1 2019

CTZ001-013-NYZ064>066-021200-
Northern Litchfield-Southern Litchfield-Eastern Ulster-
Western Dutchess-Eastern Dutchess-
534 AM EST Sun Dec 1 2019

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 AM
EST TUESDAY...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northwestern Connecticut and
eastern Ulster and all of Dutchess Counties of eastern New York.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Winter Storm Warning.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Winter Storm Warning.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Weather spotters are encouraged to send reports of snow and ice on
Sunday and Monday to the National Weather Service via email, phone
or social media.

NYZ038>040-047-048-051-058-063-082-021200-
Southern Herkimer-Southern Fulton-Montgomery-Schoharie-
Western Schenectady-Western Albany-Western Greene-Western Ulster-
Northern Fulton-
534 AM EST Sun Dec 1 2019

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST TUESDAY...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the central and western Mohawk
Valley and all of Fulton County, Schoharie County, the eastern
Catskills and Helderbergs of east central New York.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Winter Storm Warning.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Winter Storm Warning.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Weather spotters are encouraged to send reports of snow and ice on
Sunday and Monday to the National Weather Service via email, phone
or social media.

MAZ001-025-NYZ041-049-050-052>054-059>061-083-084-VTZ013>015-021200-
Northern Berkshire-Southern Berkshire-Northern Saratoga-
Eastern Schenectady-Southern Saratoga-Eastern Albany-
Western Rensselaer-Eastern Rensselaer-Eastern Greene-
Western Columbia-Eastern Columbia-Southeast Warren-
Southern Washington-Bennington-Western Windham-Eastern Windham-
534 AM EST Sun Dec 1 2019

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 AM
EST TUESDAY...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for western Massachusetts, the
Capital Region, Lake George Saratoga region and central Taconics of
eastern New York, and for southern Vermont.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Winter Storm Warning.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Winter Storm Warning.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Weather spotters are encouraged to send reports of snow and ice on
Sunday and Monday to the National Weather Service via email, phone
or social media.

NYZ042-043-021200-
Northern Warren-Northern Washington-
534 AM EST Sun Dec 1 2019

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 AM
EST TUESDAY...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northern Washington and
northern Warren Counties of east central New York.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Winter Storm Warning.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Winter Storm Warning.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Weather spotters are encouraged to send reports of snow and ice on
Sunday and Monday to the National Weather Service via email, phone
or social media.

NYZ032-033-021200-
Northern Herkimer-Hamilton-
534 AM EST Sun Dec 1 2019

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 AM
EST TUESDAY...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for Hamilton and northern Herkimer
Counties of east central New York.

.DAY ONE...Today 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...Monday through Saturday.

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...

Weather spotters are encouraged to send reports of snow and ice on
Sunday and Monday to the National Weather Service via email, phone
or social media.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

23 heavy snow, 4 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Eastern Albany

When: December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 3, 5:04 AM EST
Where: Eastern Albany forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.600, -73.974 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Eastern Schenectady

When: December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 3, 5:04 AM EST
Where: Eastern Schenectady forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.818, -74.059 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southern Saratoga

When: December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 3, 5:04 AM EST
Where: Southern Saratoga forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 43.107, -73.864 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Northern Saratoga

When: December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 3, 5:04 AM EST
Where: Northern Saratoga forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 43.107, -73.864 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southeast Warren

When: December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 3, 5:04 AM EST
Where: Southeast Warren forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 43.561, -73.846 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southern Washington

When: December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 3, 5:04 AM EST
Where: Southern Washington forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 43.314, -73.431 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Western Rensselaer

When: December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 3, 5:04 AM EST
Where: Western Rensselaer forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.711, -73.510 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Eastern Rensselaer

When: December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 3, 5:04 AM EST
Where: Eastern Rensselaer forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.711, -73.510 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Eastern Greene

When: December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 3, 5:04 AM EST
Where: Eastern Greene forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.277, -74.123 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Western Columbia

When: December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 3, 5:04 AM EST
Where: Western Columbia forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.250, -73.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Eastern Columbia

When: December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 3, 5:04 AM EST
Where: Eastern Columbia forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.250, -73.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Eastern Ulster

When: December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 3, 5:04 AM EST
Where: Eastern Ulster forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 41.888, -74.259 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Western Dutchess

When: December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 3, 5:04 AM EST
Where: Western Dutchess forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 41.765, -73.743 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Eastern Dutchess

When: December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 3, 5:04 AM EST
Where: Eastern Dutchess forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 41.765, -73.743 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southern Herkimer

When: December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 2, 8:36 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)

Heavy Snow, Northern Fulton

When: December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 2, 8:36 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)

Heavy Snow, Southern Fulton

When: December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 2, 8:36 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)

Heavy Snow, Montgomery

When: December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 2, 8:36 PM EST
Where: Montgomery forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.902, -74.440 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Western Schenectady

When: December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 3, 5:04 AM EST
Where: Western Schenectady forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.818, -74.059 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Schoharie

When: December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 3, 5:04 AM EST
Where: Schoharie forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.588, -74.442 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Western Albany

When: December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 3, 5:04 AM EST
Where: Western Albany forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.600, -73.974 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Western Greene

When: December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 3, 5:04 AM EST
Where: Western Greene forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.277, -74.123 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Western Ulster

When: December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 3, 5:04 AM 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, Northern Herkimer

When: December 1, 10:00 AM EST to December 2, 8:36 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, Hamilton

When: December 1, 10:00 AM EST to December 2, 8:36 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 1, 10:00 AM EST to December 3, 2:17 AM 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 1, 10:00 AM EST to December 3, 2:17 AM 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

Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
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

Every storm in New York in 2019 Every state in 2019 This day in weather history Warnings in New York, December 2019

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: 867727, 867728, 867729, 867730, 867731, 867732, 867733, 867734, 867735, 867736, 867737, 867738, 867739, 867740, 867741, 867742, 867743, 867744, 867745, 867746, 867747, 867748, 867749, 867750, 867751, 867752, 867753.