Lake-Effect Snow in New York, December 31, 2019

Name: Lake-Effect Snow in New York, December 31, 2019
Start: 2019-12-31T18:00
End: 2019-12-31T23:59
Location: New York

December 31, 2019 · NWS ALY · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

In the wake of a cold front, lake effect snow bands set up, impacting northern Herkimer and Hamilton counties. Moderate snow accumulations occurred.

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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Fire, smoke and dust
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Open the live radar over this ground

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.

In the wake of a cold front, lake effect snow bands set up, impacting northern Herkimer and Hamilton counties. Moderate snow accumulations occurred.

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 31, 5:03 PM EST, 57 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 31, 5:03 PM EST, 57 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 31, 3:43 PM EST, 2 hours 17 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Albany NY
343 PM EST Tue Dec 31 2019

CTZ001-013-MAZ001-025-NYZ038>043-047>054-058>061-063>066-082>084-
VTZ013>015-011100-
Northern Litchfield-Southern Litchfield-Northern Berkshire-
Southern Berkshire-Southern Herkimer-Southern Fulton-Montgomery-
Northern Saratoga-Northern Warren-Northern Washington-Schoharie-
Western Schenectady-Eastern Schenectady-Southern Saratoga-
Western Albany-Eastern Albany-Western Rensselaer-Eastern Rensselaer-
Western Greene-Eastern Greene-Western Columbia-Eastern Columbia-
Western Ulster-Eastern Ulster-Western Dutchess-Eastern Dutchess-
Northern Fulton-Southeast Warren-Southern Washington-Bennington-
Western Windham-Eastern Windham-
343 PM EST Tue Dec 31 2019

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northwestern Connecticut,
western Massachusetts, eastern New York aside from the western
Adirondacks, and southern Vermont.

.DAY ONE...Through tonight.

Snow showers and isolated snow squalls are possible mainly between
6-11 pm. Travel on untreated roads could become locally hazardous.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday.

The probability of widespread hazardous weather is low.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

NYZ032-033-011100-
Northern Herkimer-Hamilton-
343 PM EST Tue Dec 31 2019

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 7 PM
EST WEDNESDAY...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the western Adirondacks in eastern
New York.

.DAY ONE...Through 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...Wednesday through Monday.

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...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Dec 31, 2:00 PM EST, 4 hours 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, Hamilton

When: December 31, 6:00 PM EST to 11:59 PM EST
Where: Hamilton forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 43.661, -74.497 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Northern Herkimer

When: December 31, 6:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

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

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: 867862, 867863.