Buffalo, New York – Snow has dominated the winter landscape across New York this season, with northern and lake-effect-prone areas piling up some of the deepest totals in the country from late September through early February. Persistent cold air and repeated storm systems have kept snowpack firmly in place across much of the state.
According to the National Weather Service and NOAA’s National Snowfall Analysis, northern New York has recorded between 2 and 20 feet of snow since Sept. 30. The highest seasonal totals are concentrated east and southeast of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, where frequent lake-effect bands have repeatedly targeted the same communities.
Western New York has been hit especially hard. Buffalo, Hamburg, Orchard Park, and areas south of the city have seen several multi-foot events, pushing seasonal totals well past 6 feet in many locations. Farther north, Watertown, Lowville, and portions of Jefferson and Lewis counties are approaching or exceeding 10 to 20 feet for the season, driven by prolonged lake-effect episodes.
Central New York cities such as Syracuse, Oswego, and Rome have also logged significant accumulations, while totals taper somewhat toward the Hudson Valley and downstate, where many areas still report one to three feet so far.
State and local transportation agencies continue to emphasize winter driving preparedness, noting that repeated snowfall and refreezing increase crash risk even outside active storms. With winter far from over, additional lake-effect and synoptic snow events could continue to add to already impressive seasonal totals, and further advisories may be issued as conditions warrant.
