New York, 2025

Lake-Effect Snow in New York, January 26 to 27, 2025

January 26 to 27, 2025 · NWS BUF · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Lake effect snow developed east of Lake Ontario in the wake of a weak passing warm frontal boundary that resulted in earlier synoptic snow across the area. Passing cold fronts along with a trough over the region continued to support lake effect snow off of Lake Ontario through the early morning of January 27th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
3

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.

Lake effect snow developed east of Lake Ontario in the wake of a weak passing warm frontal boundary that resulted in earlier synoptic snow across the area. Passing cold fronts along with a trough over the region continued to support lake effect snow off of Lake Ontario through the early morning of January 27th. Off of Lake Ontario, much higher equilibrium heights compared to Lake Erie allowed for organized lake snow to continue while off of Lake Erie, little to no lake snow developed. An upstream connection with the Georgian Bay and Lake Huron was also a contributing factor to the lake effect event off the east and southeast end of Lake Ontario. Marginally cold temperatures at the surface and aloft limited the heavier snow amounts to the higher terrain.

Snowfall amounts for this event include: 12.5 inches in Castorland, 12.0 inches in Taylorville and Lorraine, 11.2 inches in Hooker, 11.0 inches in Copenhagen and Croghan and 10.5 inches in Barnes Corners.

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 Jan 26, 12:59 AM EST, 3 hours 1 minute earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 26, 12:59 AM EST, 3 hours 1 minute before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 25, 2:08 PM EST, 13 hours 52 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

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

Lake-Effect Snow, Jefferson

When
January 26, 4:00 AM EST to January 27, 4:24 AM EST
Where
Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
43.999, -76.052 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Lewis

When
January 26, 4:00 AM EST to January 27, 4:24 AM EST
Where
Lewis forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
43.785, -75.449 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Oswego

When
January 26, 4:00 AM EST to January 27, 4:00 AM EST
Where
Oswego forecast zone
Reported by
Public
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

More

Every storm in New York in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, January 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: 1233934, 1233935, 1236258.