New York, 2020

Winter Storm in New York, December 16 to 17, 2020

December 16 to 17, 2020 · NWS BUF · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A coastal low pressure system brought widespread accumulating snow to our region. The area was mostly just clipped by very heavy snow that fell primarily to our east and southeast Pennsylvania and central New York.

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.

  • 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
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.

A coastal low pressure system brought widespread accumulating snow to our region. The area was mostly just clipped by very heavy snow that fell primarily to our east and southeast Pennsylvania and central New York. While the surface low pressure exited off the east coast in the morning of 12/17, there was a negatively-tilted mid-level trough that passed by following that. This combination of factors led to widespread snow across the area with most areas receiving 3-5 inches, however the heaviest snow was in Allegany County and small portions of adjoining Livingston and Cattaraugus counties where 7-10 inches were common. The most notable center of heavy snow accumulation was in Wellsville where 10 inches was reported.

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 16, 1:37 PM EST, 23 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 16, 1:37 PM EST, 23 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 16, 1:28 PM EST, 32 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 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Allegany

When
December 16, 2:00 PM EST to December 17, 5:00 AM EST
Where
Allegany forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
42.257, -78.028 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New York in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, December 2020

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: 935013.