Lake-Effect Snow in New York, February 8 to 9, 2019

Name: Lake-Effect Snow in New York, February 8 to 9, 2019
Start: 2019-02-08T16:00
End: 2019-02-09T11:00
Location: New York

February 8 to 9, 2019 · NWS BUF · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Strong cold advection allowed lake effect snow to develop off Lake Ontario. Light snow first developed across Jefferson County, then the snow bands intensified as they moved south of the Tug Hill.

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.

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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 BUF wrote it up.

Strong cold advection allowed lake effect snow to develop off Lake Ontario. Light snow first developed across Jefferson County, then the snow bands intensified as they moved south of the Tug Hill. The steady motion of the band kept accumulations low until it stalled over Oswego County. Substantial blowing and drifting accompanied the heavy snows in Oswego County. Snowfall totals were around 17 inches in both Fulton and Oswego over the entirety of the event.

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 Feb 8, 3:53 PM EST, 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 8, 3:53 PM EST, 7 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 8, 3:46 PM EST, 14 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 8, 10:37 AM EST, 5 hours 23 minutes before

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Local storm report, Feb 8, 11:07 AM EST, 4 hours 53 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Feb 8, 12:20 PM EST, 3 hours 40 minutes before

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Local storm report, Feb 8, 12:34 PM EST, 3 hours 26 minutes before

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Local storm report, Feb 8, 1:28 PM EST, 2 hours 32 minutes before

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Local storm report, Feb 8, 3:32 PM EST, 28 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, Oswego

When: February 8, 4:00 PM EST to February 9, 11:00 AM EST
Where: Oswego forecast zone
Reported by: Social Media
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

Every storm in New York in 2019 Every state in 2019 This day in weather history Warnings in New York, February 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: 809101.