That Epic, Fickle, Shovel-off-to-Buffalo Snow: An All-Time U.S. Record?

Roy W. Spencer, Ph. D. ^ | November 20th, 2014 | Roy W. Spencer, Ph. D.

[kosciusko51]

I have a special place in my heart for lake effect snow. Living in Sault, Michigan as a teenager is what got me interested in weather and started me down my career path.

But it’s hard to compete with what Buffalo, New York gets for lake effect snow. Over six feet of snow fell in some areas on the south side of town in the last 48 hours, most of it in a 24 hour period.

The all-time U.S. record for a 24 hour snowfall is 76 inches in Silver Lake, Colorado way back in 1921, and it is possible this was exceeded yesterday. We will have to wait and see what NOAA decides.

The reason why Buffalo gets pounded so bad is the shape of Lake Erie…long and narrow, so a cold wind blowing down its length generates a single, intense snow band. You are either in it or out of it. Driving down the road, you can be in sunshine one minute, and in white-out conditions the next. This pair of pictures taken at the same time only 5 miles apart in Buffalo during the storm illustrates the fickle nature of lake effect storms.

[caww]

[DoughtyOne]

Thanks. I understand what you meant. Interesting.

[caww]

Yes..there were thousands I understood...where it's at now ??? This looks like a marshmellow melted over it!

[JeanLM]

Buffalo was an Indian outpost with a population of 8000 until the canal was built in 1825. There wasn’t any connection to the populous East until the canal. Then Buffalo grew to be the second largest city in NY. Not much west of Buffalo back then except furs.

[thackney]

Not fun, but it really needs done if rain is on the way.

I remember in Alaska a few folks using something on a chain you would throw on the roof, then drag through the drift to knock much of it down.

We had a couple times we got nervous about the load. But after a neighbor took a 1 foot square sample, melted it and weighed it inside, we realized is wasn’t as bad as it looked. But it didn’t look as bad as that.

[caww]

They'll have to bring in trucks to haul out all this snow for sure!

[combat_boots]

There is someone in that car!

[HandyDandy]

It’s the ice-dams that’ll getcha.

[caww]

[thackney]

Buffalo was an Indian outpost with a population of 8000 until the canal was built in 1825.

I don't think it got that big until after the canal.

War of 1812 was devastating to Buffalo, December raid in 1813 burned them out. By Early 1814, there was one house left standing.

[caww]

Yes..they had to rescue over 100 stranded people...this came down fast and furious...one guy had written that he just left work and he got stuck ...so he warned others that if anybody even attempted to leave work or home they would defiantly get stuck.....

[thackney]

Yep. There were a lot of folks near us that used electric heat trace to keep the eve’s from building up.

Our house had metal flashing instead of shingles the foot or so to help combat the ice dams. Knock of the edge and the sun would help combat the dams with the heat transfer.

[xp38]

The NFL has decided the weekend game between the Jets and the Bills will not be played at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Snow was a least half way up the goal post from what I heard. Kind of too much to clear by Sunday.

[tomkat]

Thanks very much for all the amazing photos.

One can only wonder how many older folks and those with health problems are trapped inside without any realistic hope of dealing with all that snow on their own.

[caww]

National Guard and Military are checking houses and helping remove snow from roofs.....I'm certain most will be checked on according to what the people are saying who are aware of that concern....here's some other stunning photos of the snow wall coming in at night...really quite amazing! pictures

[caww]

Half a dozen men working on this roof...how many hours will it take??? I really wonder....and rain is coming!

[Black Agnes]

That pic is from Austria. It’s mistakenly been attributed to the Buffalo storm.

[caww]

These were just some of the vehicles stranded...they simply couldn't move through the snow....and this was earlier on...when over you could hardly see the cars

[caww]

Thank you Black Agnes.....love it when Freepers correct what’s not accurate....I saw several ‘today’....one guy was using a photo from Alaska! I usually catch them...but this one got by me so thanks again.

[caww]

Man holding shovel is 6' 2...for perspective