NOUS41 KBUF 181656 PNSBUF PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY 1255 PM EDT MON APR 18 2005 ...2004-2005 SEASON SNOWFALL SUMMARY... WITH THE EXTENDED PERIOD OF MILD SPRING WEATHER OF LATE...IT IS TIME TO CLOSE THE CHAPTER ON YET ANOTHER LONG AND SNOWY WINTER ACROSS UPSTATE NEW YORK. THE FOLLOWING IS OUR ANNUAL SUMMARY...WITH NUMBERS COURTESY OF OUR COOPERATIVE OBSERVERS AND OUR 300 PERSON SNOWSPOTTER NETWORK. THE OVERALL 2004-05 WINTER STARTED LATE...BUT LINGERED THROUGH MOST OF MARCH. OVERALL TEMPERATURES FOR THE FIVE MONTH PERIOD (NOVEMBER THROUGH MARCH) AVERAGED NEAR TO SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL. SNOWFALL GENERALLY WAS NORMAL TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE...BUT WE HAD OUR NORMAL VARIATIONS ACROSS THE REGION WITH A FEW SURPRISES. THE WINTER BEGAN WITH A NEAR SNOWLESS NOVEMBER AND FIRST HALF OF DECEMBER BEFORE A MAJOR LAKE EFFECT EVENT AT MID MONTH. THIS USHERED IN A PERIOD OF WINTRY CONDITIONS WHICH CULMINATED IN A TIMELY SOUTHWEST EVENT FOR THE BUFFALO AND WATERTOWN AREAS ON CHRISTMAS EVE. THE PATTERN TURNED UNSEASONABLY MILD AGAIN FOR THE FIRST HALF OF JANUARY BEFORE AN ABRUPT CHANGE TO SEVERE WINTER COLD AND DAILY SNOW FOR THE LAST HALF OF THE MONTH. THIS INCLUDED SOME NORTHEAST FLOW ENHANCEMENT OF SYNOPTIC EVENTS OFF LAKE ONTARIO FROM NIAGARA TO MONROE COUNTIES ON 16-17TH AND AGAIN ON 22ND WHEN OVER A FOOT FELL EACH TIME. FEBRUARY SETTLED DOWN AND WAS SEASONAL WITH NORMAL SNOW AND TEMPERATURE...BUT MARCH BEGAN WITH A SIGNIFICANT GENERAL SNOWFALL. IT THEN TURNED QUITE COLD FOR MOST OF THE MONTH BUT REMAINED VERY DRY ASIDE FROM A FEW MINOR LAKE EVENTS OVER OSWEGO COUNTY. PERHAPS THE "WINTER'S" MOST INTERESTING EVENT WAS THE STORM OF APRIL 2-3. A DEEP STORM MOVED SLOWLY NORTH ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW YORK AND BROUGHT COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF PRECIPITATION TO THE NORTHEAST. THIS WAS ALL IN THE FORM OF RAIN FROM THE GENESEE VALLEY EASTWARD...AND RESULTED IN FLOODING. ENOUGH COLD AIR WRAPPED IN ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE SYSTEM TO CHANGE THE RAIN TO SNOW OVER FAR WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE STATE. CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY RECORDED UP TO TWO FEET OF HEAVY WET SNOW WHICH DOWNED POWER LINES AND TREES. IN BETWEEN...THE BUFFALO AREA HAD A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW...WITH 6 TO 8 INCHES OF SLUSH. CONDITIONS CHANGED MARKEDLY THEREAFTER THOUGH AS OUR REGION WAS TREATED TO TWO WEEKS OF DRY SUNNY MILD WEATHER... PERHAPS THE BEST STRETCH OF SPRING WE HAVE SEEN HERE IN MANY YEARS. AS FOR SNOWFALL SPECIFICS...TOTAL SNOWFALL IN WESTERN NEW YORK WAS NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL...EXCEPT FOR NIAGARA AND ORLEANS COUNTIES WHICH WERE WELL ABOVE NORMAL. THERE WERE NO CRIPPLING STORMS...BUT PLENTY OF "NICKEL AND DIME" EVENTS. PEAK AMOUNTS WERE IN THE SNOWBELT AREAS ALONG THE RIDGES OF CHAUTAUQUA AND NORTHWEST CATTARAUGUS COUNTIES INTO FAR SOUTHERN ERIE COUNTY WHERE 150 TO 200 INCHES FELL. AMOUNTS DROPPED OFF RAPIDLY ALONG THE LAKE ERIE SHORE WHERE LESS THAN 100 INCHES FELL. THIS IS VERY TYPICAL. FURTHER SOUTH AND EAST...AMOUNTS ALSO DROPPED OFF WITH LOWER ELEVATIONS AND DISTANCE FROM THE LAKE...TO JUST 60-80 INCHES FROM OLEAN TO WELLSVILLE. THESE ARE NORMAL VALUES. FURTHER NORTH...ACROSS THE BUFFALO METRO AREA...NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL TOTALS WERE RECORDED...WITH 80-90 INCHES IN THE CITY AND NORTHTOWNS...RANGING UP TO 100-120 INCHES EAST AND SOUTH OF TOWN. THE AIRPORT TOTAL OF 107 INCHES MADE IT THE FIFTH CONSECUTIVE WINTER WITH ABOVE NORMAL SNOWFALL. AGAIN THOUGH...ONLY FOUR DAYS RECEIVED OVER 4 INCHES...AN INCH FELL ON 35 DAYS. THERE WAS A SECONDARY MAXIMUM ACROSS NIAGARA AND ORLEANS COUNTIES WHERE OVER 100 INCHES FELL INLAND FROM LAKE ONTARIO. THIS WAS AIDED BY NORTHEAST ENHANCEMENT DURING STORMS OF JANUARY 16-17 AND 22ND AND AGAIN ON MARCH 1-2. THE ROCHESTER AREA AGAIN RECEIVED SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL SNOWFALL...BUT THIS WAS PRIMARILY DUE TO THE HIGH FREQUENCY OF SNOWFALL. THERE WERE NO HUGE EVENTS...ALTHOUGH...LIKE NIAGARA AND ORLEANS...EXTENDED GENERAL SNOWS WERE GREATLY ENHANCED BY THE LAKE ON THOSE AFOREMENTIONED OCCASIONS. TOTALS AVERAGED 100 TO 120 INCHES ACROSS THE CITY. THEY DROPPED OFF AS USUAL OVER THE MID GENESEE VALLEY AND FINGER LAKES TO NORMAL 60-70 INCH TOTALS. ACROSS CENTRAL NEW YORK...OSWEGO COUNTY RECEIVED NORMAL SNOWFALL DUE TO SEVERAL LATE SEASON LAKE EFFECT EVENTS...BUT THE REST OF THE AREA HAD LESS SNOW THAN USUAL. MOST OF THE COLD AIR THIS WINTER CAME IN PRIMARILY ON A NORTHERLY FLOW...HENCE THE EXCESS SNOW FROM ROCHESTER TO NIAGARA AND LITTLE IF ANY LAKE INFLUENCE FOR THE TUG HILL. IN FACT...OUR STATIONS ON THE TUG HAD THEIR LOWEST SNOWFALL TOTALS IN THE TEN YEARS OF OUR NETWORK (STILL 130-170 INCHES!). THE ST. LAWRENCE VALLEY ONLY CAUGHT 40-60 INCHES WITH FEW SYNOPTIC AND NO LAKE EVENTS. HERE ARE SOME REPRESENTATIVE SEASON SNOWFALL TOTALS BY COUNTY. MULTIPLE REPORTS FROM THE SAME TOWN HAVE BEEN ROUNDED. APRIL NUMBERS ARE ESTIMATED AND ARE INCLUDED IN THE TOTALS... ...NIAGARA COUNTY... .MIDDLEPORT....... 112 INCHES .LOCKPORT......... 109 INCHES .NIAGARA FALLS.... 103 INCHES (MOST IN TEN YRS) .NORTH TONAWANDA.. 98 INCHES .SANBORN.......... 85 INCHES .LEWISTON......... 72 INCHES .YOUNGSTOWN....... 66 INCHES ...ORLEANS COUNTY... .MEDINA........... 105 INCHES .ALBION........... 78 INCHES .LYNDONVILLE...... 76 INCHES ...ERIE COUNTY (NORTH)... .ALDEN............ 113 INCHES .WEST SENECA...... 110 INCHES .LANCASTER........ 108 INCHES .CHEEKTOWAGA...... 108 INCHES (NWS AIRPORT 107.9) .ELMA............. 101 INCHES .AMHERST.......... 100 INCHES .CLARENCE......... 95 INCHES .BUFFALO (CITY)... 88 INCHES (DELAWARE PARK) .KENMORE.......... 87 INCHES .TONAWANDA (TOWN). 86 INCHES .GRAND ISLAND..... 77 INCHES ...ERIE COUNTY (SOUTH)... .COLDEN........... 174 INCHES .EDEN............. 149 INCHES .BOSTON........... 143 INCHES .SO. WALES........ 133 INCHES .EAST AURORA...... 121 INCHES .ORCHARD PARK..... 121 INCHES .HAMBURG.......... 104 INCHES (VILLAGE) .HAMBURG.......... 80 INCHES (LAKESHORE-BLASDELL) ...GENESEE COUNTY... .DARIEN CTR....... 102 INCHES .BATAVIA.......... 89 INCHES .BASOM............ 84 INCHES .STAFFORD......... 74 INCHES .PAVILION......... 72 INCHES ...WYOMING COUNTY... .WARSAW........... 155 INCHES (HILL) .ARCADE........... 144 INCHES .VARYSBURG........ 139 INCHES .BENNINGTON....... 95 INCHES .PERRY............ 94 INCHES .PORTAGEVILLE..... 84 INCHES ...CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY... .CASSADAGA........ 198 INCHES .SHERMAN.......... 191 INCHES .STOCKTON......... 176 INCHES .ARKWRIGHT........ 171 INCHES .SINCLAIRVILLE.... 161 INCHES .JAMESTOWN........ 118 INCHES .DUNKIRK.......... 88 INCHES .FREDONIA......... 84 INCHES .SILVER CREEK..... 60 INCHES ...CATTARAUGUS COUNTY... .PERRYSBURG....... 219 INCHES .SO. DAYTON....... 207 INCHES .ELLICOTTVILLE.... 205 INCHES .YORKSHIRE........ 203 INCHES .WEST VALLEY...... 137 INCHES .LITTLE VALLEY.... 129 INCHES .FRANKLINVILLE.... 125 INCHES .SALAMANCA........ 101 INCHES .NEW ALBION....... 100 INCHES .OLEAN............ 74 INCHES .ALLEGANY......... 74 INCHES ...ALLEGANY COUNTY... .RUSHFORD......... 106 INCHES .ALFRED........... 96 INCHES .ANDOVER.......... 94 INCHES .FRIENDSHIP....... 92 INCHES .ANGELICA......... 85 INCHES .WELLSVILLE....... 68 INCHES .WHITESVILLE...... 61 INCHES ...MONROE COUNTY... .HAMLIN........... 131 INCHES .PERINTON......... 126 INCHES .FAIRPORT......... 122 INCHES .BROCKPORT........ 117 INCHES .ROCHESTER AP..... 114 INCHES (NWS AIRPORT 113.6) .WEBSTER.......... 108 INCHES .GREECE........... 102 INCHES .ROCHESTER........ 92 INCHES (CITY) .ROCHESTER........ 91 INCHES (CHARLOTTE) .BRIGHTON......... 86 INCHES .HONEOYE FALLS.... 82 INCHES ...WAYNE COUNTY... .WALWORTH......... 145 INCHES .CLYDE............ 123 INCHES .NEWARK........... 118 INCHES .PALMYRA.......... 117 INCHES .MARION........... 107 INCHES .SODUS CENTER..... 76 INCHES ...LIVINGSTON COUNTY... .SCOTTSBURG....... 103 INCHES .SPRINGWATER...... 94 INCHES .LIVONIA.......... 84 INCHES .GENESEO.......... 82 INCHES .AVON............. 61 INCHES .DANSVILLE........ 59 INCHES ...ONTARIO COUNTY... .STANLEY.......... 99 INCHES .VICTOR........... 95 INCHES .PHELPS........... 91 INCHES .GENEVA........... 81 INCHES .HONEOYE LAKE..... 66 INCHES .CANANDAIGUA...... 64 INCHES ...CAYUGA COUNTY... .CATO-MERIDIAN.... 151 INCHES .FAIR HAVEN....... 96 INCHES ...OSWEGO COUNTY... .REDFIELD......... 196 INCHES .FULTON........... 185 INCHES .BENNETTS BRIDGE.. 174 INCHES .PALERMO.......... 173 INCHES .WEST MONROE...... 159 INCHES .HANNIBAL......... 142 INCHES .CONSTANTIA....... 141 INCHES .PULASKI.......... 140 INCHES .OSWEGO........... 128 INCHES .MINETTO.......... 111 INCHES ...LEWIS COUNTY... .NORTH OSCEOLA.... 174 INCHES .HIGHMARKET....... 155 INCHES .HOOKER........... 130 INCHES .BARNES CORNERS... 129 INCHES .LOWVILLE......... 88 INCHES ...JEFFERSON COUNTY... .CARTHAGE......... 113 INCHES .ADAMS............ 93 INCHES .WATERTOWN........ 70 INCHES .BROWNVILLE....... 53 INCHES .CLAYTON.......... 46 INCHES .WELLESLEY ISLAND.. 44 INCHES ...SOUTHERN ONTARIO CANADA... .VINELAND......... 81 INCHES .NIAGARA FALLS.... 74 INCHES .FORT ERIE........ 73 INCHES (RIDGEWAY) .ST. CATHARINES... 66 INCHES .TORONTO.......... 50 INCHES (DOWNTOWN) AGAIN WE THANK OUR OVER 300 CO-OPERATIVE OBSERVERS AND SNOWSPOTTER VOLUNTEERS FOR INFORMATION USED IN THIS REPORT... $$ MCLAUGHLIN