Winter season Summary 2007 - 2008

Winter 2007 - 2008 

NOUS41 KBUF 242207
PNSBUF
NYZ001>008-010>014-019>021-085-281200-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
600 PM EDT THU APR 24 2008

...2007-2008 SEASON SNOWFALL SUMMARY...

WITH THE ONSET AND CONTINUATION OF THE EXTRAORDINARILY FINE APRIL
WEATHER...WE CLOSE THE CHAPTER ON YET ANOTHER WINTER HERE IN WESTERN
AND CENTRAL NEW YORK. THE FOLLOWING IS OUR ANNUAL SUMMARY...WITH
SNOWFALL NUMBERS COURTESY OF OUR COOPERATIVE OBSERVERS AND OUR 200
PLUS PERSON SNOWSPOTTER NETWORK.

THE WINTER OF 2007-08 WAS A TENACIOUS ONE ACROSS OUR REGION. IT WAS
VERY ACTIVE SYNOPTICALLY...WITH A PERSISTENT STORM TRACK FROM THE
OHIO VALLEY INTO THE LOWER GREAT LAKES REGION AND INTERIOR
NORTHEAST. THIS GAVE OUR REGION AN UNUSUALLY HIGH AMOUNT OF GENERAL
PRECIPITATION...WITH ALL AREAS WELL ABOVE NORMAL. THE PROXIMITY OF
THE STORM TRACK BROUGHT FREQUENT INCURSIONS OF WARMER AIR IN
CONJUNCTION WITH MOST OF THE STORMS...SO MOST OF THEM CONTAINED A
MIX OF ALL TYPES OF PRECIPITATION AND FEW WERE ALL SNOW. IN
FACT..SUCH PATTERNS FAVOR HEAVIER SNOWS ACROSS NORTHERN AREAS...AND
THIS WAS REFLECTED BY EXCESSIVE SNOWFALL OVER NIAGARA AND JEFFERSON
COUNTIES THIS WINTER. THESE COUNTIES ARE USUALLY AT THE LOW END OF
OUR SNOW TOTALS. FURTHER NORTH...THERE WAS A STRIP OF RECORD
SNOWFALL WHICH EXTENDED FROM WISCONSIN TO LOWER MICHIGAN TO NEAR
TORONTO AND THEN ON TO NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND AND THE ST. LAWRENCE
VALLEY.

LAKE EFFECT WAS NOT AS PRONOUNCED AS IN A NORMAL WINTER...ESPECIALLY
OFF LAKE ERIE. THERE WERE TEN "NAMED" EVENTS INCLUDING THREE MAJOR
ONES OFF LAKE ONTARIO FOCUSING ON OSWEGO AND SOUTHERN LEWIS
COUNTIES.

STILL...THE OVERALL SNOWFALL MAP SHOWS MAXIMA IN THE TYPICAL AREAS
DOWNWIND OF EACH LAKE AND IN FAVORED UPSLOPE AREAS IN THE HIGHER
ELEVATIONS FROM THE CHAUTAUQUA RIDGE AND SKI COUNTRY OFF ERIE...AND
THE TUG HILL OFF ONTARIO. OSWEGO COUNTY ALSO SHARED IN EXCESSIVE
AMOUNTS FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE WINTER. CONVERSELY...SNOWFALL
MINIMA FOCUSED ON THE MID GENESEE VALLEY AND FINGER LAKES REGION AS
IS TYPICALLY THE CASE.

THE WINTER`S SNOW SEASON BEGAN SLOWLY WITH LITTLE SNOW IN NOVEMBER.
HOWEVER THE FIRST HALF OF DECEMBER WAS COLD AND QUITE SNOWY WITH A
SYNOPTIC/LAKE ENHANCED EVENT ON 3-5TH BRINGING HEAVY SNOW TO THE
ROCHESTER AREA. A MAJOR SYNOPTIC STORM ON THE 16-17TH BROUGHT OVER A
FOOT TO NIAGARA COUNTY BUT WAS LARGELY MIXED ACROSS THE SOUTHERN
TIER.

JANUARY WAS QUITE MILD AND OPEN FOR ITS FIRST THREE WEEKS WITH
MOSTLY BARE GROUND...BUT COLDER WEATHER RETURNED FOR ITS LAST
THIRD...USHERED IN BY A MASSIVE LAKE SNOW ACROSS OSWEGO COUNTY ON
19-21ST. THE MAJOR EVENTS DURING JANUARY WERE TWO DAMAGING
WINDSTORMS ON THE 9TH AND 30TH...THE LATTER CAUSING LAKE ERIE TO
RISE TO ITS HIGHEST LEVEL IN OVER 22 YEARS AT BUFFALO.

FEBRUARY WAS WET SNOWY AND CHANGEABLE. A MAJOR STORM BROUGHT A
PLETHORA OF PRECIPITATION TYPES TO WESTERN NEW YORK DURING THE FIRST
WEEK...BUT WELL OVER A FOOT OF SNOW TO TORONTO...THEN TWO MASSIVE
LAKE EFFECT SNOWS BURIED OSWEGO COUNTY ON 10-11TH AND 19-20TH.

PERHAPS THE MOST WINTRY MONTH THIS SEASON WAS MARCH. THE FIRST WEEK
SAW A CONTINUATION OF THE ACTIVE STORM TRACK WITH A MIXED
PRECIPITATION EVENT ON 4-5TH QUICKLY FOLLOWED BY THE SEASON`S
LARGEST SNOWSTORM ACROSS WESTERN AREAS ON 7-9TH WITH WELL OVER A
FOOT FALLING FROM BUFFALO TO ROCHESTER. MARCH QUIETED DOWN
THEREAFTER BUT UNSEASONABLE CHILL KEPT SNOW ON THE GROUND UNTIL THE
FINAL WEEK.

OVERALL SEASON SNOWFALL TOPPED OUT AT WELL OVER 200 INCHES ACROSS
THE TUG HILL AND INTERIOR OSWEGO COUNTY...WITH OVER 150 INCHES ALONG
THE CHAUTAUQUA RIDGE AND INTO SOUTHERN ERIE AND WYOMING COUNTIES IN
WESTERN NEW YORK. LESSER AMOUNTS FELL ALONG THE LAKE ERIE SHORE AND
OVER THE ALLEGHENY RIVER VALLEY.

THE BUFFALO AREA CAUGHT NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL SNOWFALL...
FROM AROUND 80 INCHES ACROSS THE NORTH TOWNS AND CITY TO 100 INCHES
OR SO EAST AND SOUTH OF THE CITY. ROCHESTER AREA HAD SIMILAR
AMOUNTS...80 TO 100 INCHES ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA. NIAGARA AND
JEFFERSON COUNTIES RECEIVED WELL ABOVE NORMAL SNOWFALL...IN THE 80
TO 100 INCH RANGE...WITH THIS PATTERN CONTINUING OVER THE BORDER TO
TORONTO.

SNOW COVERED THE GROUND MORE OFTEN THAN NOT THIS WINTER...BUT RAPID
CHANGES WITH THE FREQUENT STORM PASSAGES DID NOT ALLOW THE SNOWPACK
TO BUILD UP. TEMPERATURES THIS WINTER WERE CLOSE TO NORMAL WITH
LITTLE SEVERE COLD. JANUARY WAS MILD AND MARCH COLD...THE REMAINING
MONTHS WERE CLOSE TO AVERAGE.

AND ONE LAST NOTE...APRIL TO DATE (24TH) HAS BEEN REMARKABLY WARM
AND DRY. IT WILL THREATEN TO BE THE WARMEST AND SUNNIEST IN HISTORY.
NO MEASURABLE SNOW HAS FALLEN.

HERE ARE SOME REPRESENTATIVE SEASON TOTALS BY COUNTY. MULTIPLE
REPORTS FROM THE SAME TOWN OR CITY HAVE BEEN AVERAGED...


...NIAGARA COUNTY...

.LOCKPORT.......106 INCHES
.MIDDLEPORT..... 95 INCHES
.YOUNGSTOWN..... 94 INCHES
.NIAGARA FALLS.. 88 INCHES
.NO.TONAWANDA... 87 INCHES
.LEWISTON....... 78 INCHES


...ORLEANS COUNTY...

.LYNDONVILLE.... 89 INCHES
.ALBION......... 71 INCHES


...ERIE COUNTY (NORTH)...

.BUFFALO (SO.)..112 INCHES
.BUFFALO (NO.).. 73 INCHES (DEL.PARK)
.BUFFALO (CITY). 72 INCHES

.ALDEN..........113 INCHES
.CHEEKTOWAGA....103.8 INCHES (NWS BUF AIRPORT)
.AMHERST........102 INCHES
.LANCASTER......100 INCHES
.WEST SENECA.... 93 INCHES
.CLARENCE....... 90 INCHES
.LACKAWANNA..... 87 INCHES
.DEPEW.......... 86 INCHES
.TONAWANDA (TWP) 82 INCHES
.GRAND ISLAND... 80 INCHES
.E. AMHERST..... 78 INCHES
.KENMORE........ 76 INCHES


...ERIE COUNTY (SOUTH)...

.N. BOSTON......156 INCHES
.COLDEN.........154 INCHES
.EDEN...........153 INCHES
.BOSTON.........151 INCHES
.CHAFFEE........111 INCHES
.E. AURORA......110 INCHES
.WALES..........109 INCHES
.ORCHARD PARK... 94 INCHES
.HAMBURG (VILL). 86 INCHES
.HAMBURG (LKSH). 80 INCHES  (BLASDELL)


...GENESEE COUNTY...

.DARIEN CTR.....118 INCHES
.BATAVIA........105 INCHES
.LEROY.......... 84 INCHES
.BASOM.......... 84 INCHES
.PAVILION....... 75 INCHES


...WYOMING COUNTY...

.WARSAW (HILL)..182 INCHES
.BENNINGTON.....129 INCHES
.PERRY..........114 INCHES
.PORTAGEVILLE... 77 INCHES


...CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY...

.MAYVILLE.......198 INCHES
.STOCKTON.......177 INCHES
.SINCLAIRVILLE..156 INCHES
.ELLINGTON......134 INCHES
.FORESTVILLE....133 INCHES
.BEMUS POINT....119 INCHES
.FREWSBURG......100 INCHES
.JAMESTOWN...... 98 INCHES
.DUNKIRK........ 83 INCHES
.FREDONIA....... 67 INCHES


...CATTARAUGUS COUNTY...

.PERRYSBURG.....212 INCHES
.S.DAYTON.......181 INCHES
.ELLICOTTVILLE..164 INCHES
.YORKSHIRE......134 INCHES
.LITTLE VALLEY..128 INCHES
.WEST VALLEY....112 INCHES
.FRANKLINVILLE..109 INCHES
.CATTARAUGUS....105 INCHES
.NEW ALBION..... 98 INCHES
.ALLEGANY....... 93 INCHES
.SALAMANCA...... 85 INCHES
.RANDOLPH....... 84 INCHES
.OLEAN.......... 67 INCHES


...ALLEGANY COUNTY...

.BIRDSALL.......109 INCHES
.RUSHFORD.......103 INCHES
.FRIENDSHIP..... 87 INCHES
.ALFRED......... 83 INCHES
.ANGELICA....... 73 INCHES
.WELLSVILLE..... 61 INCHES
.WHITESVILLE.... 54 INCHES


...MONROE COUNTY...

.ROCHESTER ARPT.106.0 INCHES (NWS)
.ROCHESTER (CTY) 99 INCHES
.ROCHESTER (N).. 93 INCHES  (CHARLOTTE)

.HAMLIN.........119 INCHES
.PERINTON.......109 INCHES
.BROCKPORT...... 94 INCHES
.GREECE......... 92 INCHES
.PENFIELD....... 91 INCHES
.WEBSTER........ 87 INCHES
.CHILI.......... 86 INCHES
.PITTSFORD...... 80 INCHES
.MENDON......... 75 INCHES
.SCOTTSVILLE.... 68 INCHES


...WAYNE COUNTY...

.NEWARK.........101 INCHES
.PALMYRA........ 96 INCHES
.MARION......... 93 INCHES
.SODUS CTR...... 82 INCHES


...LIVINGSTON COUNTY...

.SCOTTSBURG.....103 INCHES
.WAYLAND........101 INCHES  (STEUBEN CO.)
.LIVONIA........ 92 INCHES
.GENESEO........ 77 INCHES
.DANSVILLE...... 65 INCHES
.NUNDA.......... 60 INCHES
.AVON........... 59 INCHES


...ONTARIO COUNTY...

.CANANDAIGUA.... 66 INCHES
.HONEOYE LAKE... 61 INCHES
.GENEVA......... 57 INCHES


...CAYUGA COUNTY...

.CATO-MERIDIAN..132 INCHES
.FAIR HAVEN.....126 INCHES
.MONTEZUMA...... 91 INCHES


...OSWEGO COUNTY...

.REDFIELD.......308 INCHES
.BENNETTS BRG...280 INCHES
.PULASKI........248 INCHES
.LACONA.........219 INCHES
.PALERMO........198 INCHES
.OSWEGO.........193 INCHES (CITY)
.FULTON.........187 INCHES
.MEXICO.........184 INCHES
.MINETTO........179 INCHES
.OSWEGO.........173 INCHES (SW)
.SCRIBA.........172 INCHES
.W. MONROE......165 INCHES
.OSWEGO.........160 INCHES (EAST)
.HANNIBAL.......154 INCHES
.CONSTANTIA......104 INCHES


...LEWIS COUNTY...

.BARNES CORNRS..242 INCHES
.HOOKER.........223 INCHES
.HIGHMARKET.....220 INCHES
.LOWVILLE.......150 INCHES
.PORT LEYDEN....138 INCHES


...JEFFERSON COUNTY...

.CARTHAGE.......146 INCHES
.ADAMS..........123 INCHES
.REDWOOD........ 99 INCHES
.BROWNVILLE..... 98 INCHES
.CLAYTON........ 93 INCHES
.WATERTOWN...... 92 INCHES
.HENDERSON...... 90 INCHES


...SOUTHERN ONTARIO CANADA...

.ST. CATHARINES. 85 INCHES
.TORONTO........ 83 INCHES  (CITY)
.VINELAND....... 76 INCHES


AGAIN WE THANK OUR OVER 200 CO-OPERATIVE OBSERVERS AND SNOWSPOTTER
VOLUNTEERS FOR INFORMATION USED IN THIS REPORT.

$$