New York, 2019

Lake-Effect Snow in New York, December 18, 2019

December 18, 2019 · NWS BUF · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

A very strong, but fast-moving mid-level trough swept through southeast Canada and New England with an associated potent clipper passing just north and east of our region. As the strong cold front of the clipper crossed the eastern Great Lakes, northwest flow briefly became west-southwest ahead of the cold front, only to swing back northwest.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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 very strong, but fast-moving mid-level trough swept through southeast Canada and New England with an associated potent clipper passing just north and east of our region. As the strong cold front of the clipper crossed the eastern Great Lakes, northwest flow briefly became west-southwest ahead of the cold front, only to swing back northwest. Lake effect snow bands developed and followed the flow with the passage of the cold front, wandering northward then back southward. With their final southward migration, multi-lake connections allowed for a Lake Huron and Georgian Bay connection to the southeast of both lakes. The resulting snow totals were highest over the Southern Tier and to the southeast of Lake Ontario, including 15 inches in Eddyville, 12.4 inches in Watertown, 12 inches in Parkers, 9 inches in Jamestown, and 9.5 inches in Springville.

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 Dec 17, 10:25 PM EST, 2 hours 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 17, 10:25 PM EST, 2 hours 35 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 17, 2:55 PM EST, 10 hours 5 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 17, 7:03 PM EST, 5 hours 57 minutes before
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Local storm report, Dec 17, 9:26 PM EST, 3 hours 34 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

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

Lake-Effect Snow, Cattaraugus

When
December 18, 1:00 AM EST to 7:00 AM EST
Where
Cattaraugus forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
42.249, -78.679 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Chautauqua

When
December 18, 1:00 AM EST to 7:00 AM EST
Where
Chautauqua forecast zone
Reported by
Social Media
Coordinates
42.303, -79.406 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Jefferson

When
December 18, 5:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where
Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
43.999, -76.052 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Lewis

When
December 18, 5:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where
Lewis forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
43.785, -75.449 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Oswego

When
December 18, 9:00 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Oswego forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.464, -76.209 (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 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 869381, 869382, 869384, 869385, 869383.