Lake-Effect Snow in New York

Events

1,291

Deaths

17

Injuries

16

Damage

$218 million

• Lake-Effect Snow in New York, November 17 to 19, 20149 deaths · 9 injured · $5.5 million · 5 eventsThe epic November 17-19th 2014 lake effect event will be remembered as one of the most significant winter events in Buffalo’s snowy history. Over 5 feet of snow fell over areas just east of Buffalo, with mere inches a few miles away to the north.
• Lake-Effect Snow in New York, November 19 to 21, 20144 deaths · 4 injured · $5.9 million · 7 eventsLake effect snow developed over Eastern Lake Erie and Southern Ontario Wednesday (19) evening on a southwest flow. Cloud to ground lightning was noted near Long Point near the onset of the activity.
• Lake-Effect Snow in New York, November 16 to 21, 20223 deaths · $31 million · 14 eventsThe incipient lake effect bands formed over far southern Erie County early in the morning hours of Thursday, November 17.
• Lake-Effect Snow in New York, October 12 to 13, 20061 death · $156 million · 6 eventsLow pressure over Lake Superior brought a westerly flow of unseasonably cold air across western New York. Lake Effect rain began Thursday (10/13/06) morning. By midday the rain began mixing with graupel and thunder and lightning was reported.
• Blizzard and Lake-Effect Snow in New York, January 2 to 3, 20181 death · 7 injured · $210,000 · 4 eventsThis storm was a rare lake effect blizzard, producing a period of blizzard conditions northeast of Lakes Erie and Ontario.
• Lake-Effect Snow in New York, February 2 to 12, 2007$4.8 million · 6 eventsThis lake effect event started dramatically on the weekend of February 3-4 in association with a surge of arctic air and then continue all week off Lake Ontario as ripples in the low level circulation shifted winds and kept bands of snow moving up and down off Lake Ontario.
• Lake-Effect Snow and High Wind in New York, February 16 to 19, 20251 injured · $2.3 million · 56 kt wind · 5 eventsA cold front moving across the area during the evening hours of the 16th initially led to some light snow and a quick drop in temperatures, rapidly freezing any wet or untreated surfaces.
• Lake-Effect Snow in New York, November 17 to 19, 2014$1.0 million · 3 eventsCold air crossing the relatively warmer waters of Lake Ontario resulted in lake effect snows. East of Lake Ontario, a lake band developed south of Watertown Monday (17) night, then drifted north across the city and to Harrisville.
• Lake-Effect Snow in New York, November 20 to 21, 2014$700,000 · 3 eventsLake effect snows developed during the early morning hours of Thursday (20). The band initially started over Kingston Ontario and parts of southern Quebec shortly after midnight Wednesday night, then as the southwest flow veered during the wee hours of the morning, the band…
• Lake-Effect Snow in New York, November 19 to 22, 2016$400,000 · 13 eventsA strong cold front crossed the Lower Great Lakes from west to east during the day of the 19th.
• Lake-Effect Snow in New York, December 24 to 27, 2017$505,000 · 8 eventsLake effect snow developed early Christmas morning and continued continuously for about 72 hours, before diminishing late in the day on Wednesday the 27th.
• Lake-Effect Snow in New York, December 12 to 17, 2010$250,000 · 15 eventsThe fourth lake effect event of the winter season followed on the heels of storm which brought a cold rain to most of the area. The event was long lasting and featured three sub events.
• Lake-Effect Snow in New York, January 12 to 14, 2016$288,000 · 11 eventsThe season’s fifth lake event developed during the late afternoon and evening of the 12th and lasted through morning of the 14th.
• Blizzard and Lake-Effect Snow in New York, January 6 to 8, 2014$260,000 · 12 eventsAs a result of anomalously cold air that made its way south from the Canadian Arctic, blizzard conditions were experienced across a large portion of the Niagara Frontier, including the Buffalo Metropolitan area, while over 5 feet of snow fell on the Tug Hill Plateau.
• Winter Storm and Lake-Effect Snow in New York, December 11 to 13, 2017$270,000 · 10 eventsA general snow across the region was enhanced by the Great Lakes before transitioning to lake effect snow bands east and southeast of the lakes.|Off Lake Erie, lake effect snow was enhanced by upslope flow along the Chautauqua Ridge in Chautauqua County, the Boston Hills of…
• Lake-Effect Snow in New York, January 1 to 4, 2010$245,000 · 10 eventsA strong cold front crossed the region on New Year’s Day. A broad area of lake effect snows develop along the south shores of Lakes Erie and Ontario late on the first. Some narrow intense bands developed in this area and extended up to twenty miles inland.
• Lake-Effect Snow in New York, December 10 to 12, 2009$236,000 · 10 eventsLake effect snows developed off Lakes Erie and Ontario in a well-aligned, cold, unstable west to southwest flow. Strong winds not along allowed the snow bands to extend well inland, but produced significantly reduced visibilities in blowing and drifting snow.
• Lake-Effect Snow in New York, January 4 to 8, 2017$218,000 · 11 eventsThis lake effect snow event was a long duration, high impact event; one that snarled traffic across the Buffalo Southtowns Thursday evening and ultimately produced three to four feet of snow east of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.
• Lake-Effect Snow in New York, January 19 to 21, 2008$290,000 · 5 eventsLake effect snows again developed during a prolonged and fairly intense cold spell. They began soon after the passage of a strong cold front early on Saturday 19th. The activity off Lake Erie again focused over the Chautauqua ridge with two day totals up to near two feet.
• Lake-Effect Snow in New York, January 17 to 19, 2016$221,000 · 9 eventsAfter brief respite from the January cold, and lake effect snow, arctic air flowed over the eastern Great Lakes Sunday, January 17th, with early weekend air temperatures in the 40s plummeting back below freezing.
• Lake-Effect Snow in New York, December 13 to 16, 2016$195,000 · 10 eventsA cold front moved through the region during the night of the 13th, with colder air arriving by the morning of the 14th.
• Lake-Effect Snow in New York, December 29 to 31, 2017$205,000 · 7 eventsTea kettle bands of lake effect snow developed offshore over Lake Erie and Lake Ontario for an extended period of time prior to moving onshore, first on Lake Erie and eventually on Lake Ontario.
• Lake-Effect Snow in New York, December 8 to 11, 2016$171,000 · 9 eventsLake effect snows began early on the morning of the 8th as deepening cold air in the wake of a strong cold front moved across the Lower Great Lakes.
• Lake-Effect Snow in New York, November 18 to 19, 2014$225,000 · 3 eventsA prolonged, favorable and strong fetch of cold air across relatively mild Lake Ontario delivered very significant lake effect snows to portions of northern New York on November 18th and 19th.
• Lake-Effect Snow in New York, December 15 to 16, 2017$185,000 · 6 eventsCold air crossing the relatively warm waters of Lakes Erie and Ontario resulted in lake effect snows. |Off Lake Erie, lake snows developed on a southerly flow across the Niagara Peninsula.

Lake-Effect Snow everywhereEvery kind of event in New York

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.