Lake-Effect Snow in New York, February 16 to 19, 2025

Name: Lake-Effect Snow in New York, February 16 to 19, 2025
Start: 2025-02-16T18:00
End: 2025-02-19T12:30
Location: New York

February 16 to 19, 2025 · NWS BUF · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

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

Open the live radar over this ground

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.

Behind the passing winter storm from the previous few days, a favorable lake effect setup developed off of Lake Ontario. A lingering trough and synoptic moisture, along with cold temperatures aloft resulted in widespread lake effect snow off of much of Lake Ontario from Orleans County eastward. The heaviest snow fell for areas east to southeast of Lake Ontario, where a better upstream fetch over the lake allowed for better organization of a lake snow band.

Snowfall amounts for this event include: 42.2 inches in Mexico, 20.6 inches in Minetto, 16.8 inches in Highmarket, 14.0 inches in Constableville, 8.5 inches in Newark and 7.4 inches in Medina.

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 16, 1:28 PM EST, 4 hours 32 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 16, 1:28 PM EST, 4 hours 32 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 16, 8:53 AM EST, 9 hours 7 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 16, 12:17 PM EST, 5 hours 43 minutes before

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Local storm report, Feb 16, 1:45 PM EST, 4 hours 15 minutes before

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Local storm report, Feb 16, 3:42 PM EST, 2 hours 18 minutes before

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Local storm report, Feb 16, 3:50 PM EST, 2 hours 10 minutes before

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Local storm report, Feb 16, 5:08 PM EST, 52 minutes before

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Local storm report, Feb 16, 5:40 PM EST, 20 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, Monroe

When: February 16, 6:00 PM EST to February 17, 6:00 AM EST
Where: Monroe forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 43.165, -77.636 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Oswego

When: February 17, 1:00 AM EST to February 19, 1:00 AM EST
Where: Oswego forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 43.464, -76.209 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Lewis

When: February 17, 1:00 AM EST to February 18, 9:00 AM 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, Northern Cayuga

When: February 17, 9:00 AM EST to February 19, 1:30 AM EST
Where: Northern Cayuga forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 43.010, -76.574 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Orleans

When: February 17, 11:04 AM EST to February 19, 12:30 PM EST
Where: Orleans forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.251, -78.189 (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 2025 Every state in 2025 This day in weather history Warnings in New York, February 2025

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: 1237345, 1237342, 1237343, 1237347, 1237344.