Winter Storm and Lake-Effect Snow in New York, December 4 to 8, 2024

Name: Winter Storm and Lake-Effect Snow in New York, December 4 to 8, 2024
Start: 2024-12-04T13:00
End: 2024-12-08T03:09
Location: New York

December 4 to 8, 2024 · NWS BUF · 9 events in 7 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 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: 9

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.

For the period of December 4th through 8th, an area of low pressure tracking north of the Great Lakes caused widespread snow to track across most of the Buffalo forecast area early in the event, which was then followed by lake snow off of both Lake Erie & Ontario. East of Lake Ontario, the synoptic snow was enhanced by upsloping and then transitioned to lake enhancement and finally lake effect. East of Lake Erie, snow transitioned to mainly lake effect after a more noticeable break in the more widespread synoptic snow. The heaviest snowfall occurred east to southeast of both lakes, where amounts of up to 20 inches fell east of Lake Erie, and amounts up to 30 inches fell east of Lake Ontario.

Notable snowfall amounts reported include: 31.3 inches in Highmarket, 30.0 inches in Lacona, 26.0 inches in Constableville, 21.6 inches in Cattaraugus, 20.9 inches in Springville, 20.1 inches in Colden, 19.0 inches in Pulaski, 18.1 inches in Attica, 17.5 inches in Little Valley, 16.9 inches in Warssaw, 14.0 inches in Stow and 12.2 inches in La Fargeville.

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 4, 9:41 AM EST, 3 hours 19 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 4, 9:41 AM EST, 3 hours 19 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 4, 3:47 AM EST, 9 hours 13 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 4, 8:01 AM EST, 4 hours 59 minutes before

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Local storm report, Dec 4, 8:03 AM EST, 4 hours 57 minutes before

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Local storm report, Dec 4, 8:22 AM EST, 4 hours 38 minutes before

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Local storm report, Dec 4, 8:33 AM EST, 4 hours 27 minutes before

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Local storm report, Dec 4, 9:13 AM EST, 3 hours 47 minutes before

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Local storm report, Dec 4, 10:13 AM EST, 2 hours 47 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

6 lake-effect snow, 3 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Oswego

When: December 4, 1:00 PM EST to December 8, 3:09 AM EST
Where: Oswego forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 43.464, -76.209 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Jefferson

When: December 4, 1:00 PM EST to December 8, 3:09 AM EST
Where: Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 43.999, -76.052 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Lewis

When: December 4, 1:00 PM EST to December 8, 3:09 AM EST
Where: Lewis forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.785, -75.449 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Cattaraugus

When: December 4, 7:00 PM EST to December 7, 8:23 AM EST
Where: Cattaraugus forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.249, -78.679 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Chautauqua

When: December 4, 7:00 PM EST to December 7, 8:23 AM EST
Where: Chautauqua forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 42.303, -79.406 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Wyoming

When: December 4, 7:00 PM EST to December 6, 4:00 AM EST
Where: Wyoming forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 42.702, -78.224 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Southern Erie

When: December 4, 7:00 PM EST to December 6, 4:00 AM EST
Where: Southern Erie forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 42.758, -78.780 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Southern Erie

When: December 6, 8:41 PM EST to December 7, 8:23 AM EST
Where: Southern Erie forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.758, -78.780 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Wyoming

When: December 6, 8:41 PM EST to December 7, 8:23 AM EST
Where: Wyoming forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 42.702, -78.224 (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.
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 2024 Every state in 2024 This day in weather history Warnings in New York, December 2024

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1226387, 1226388, 1226390, 1226392, 1226393, 1226394, 1226395, 1226396, 1226397.