In late December 2022, a blizzard caused devastating impacts in the state of New York, particularly for the Buffalo metropolitan area.
Background On December 21, a winter storm formed in the Rocky Mountains, triggering record temperature drops in the region.Denver sees record-breaking 37-degree temperature drop in a single hour, Courthouse News, December 22, 2022 Early on December 23, the storm reached New York. Across the Buffalo metropolitan area, the difference between the water temperature and air temperature triggered lake-effect snow for several days.How The Buffalo Blizzard Became So Deadly, The New York Times, December 29, 2022 Despite rain falling in the early morning hours on the 23rd in the Buffalo area, it quickly turned to snow, as wind speeds exceeded . The blizzard lasted until the morning of December 26.ONE YEAR AGO THIS WEEK, THE BUFFALO BLIZZARD OF 2022, WeareBuffalo, December 22, 2023 The snow in Buffalo finally stopped late on December 27.Timeline of the Blizzard of 2022, WGRZ, December 31, 2022
Impact Western New York The blizzard's intense wind gusts blowing over the warm waters of Lake Erie triggered record lake-effect snow to Buffalo, New York, which at first fell as rain but later converted to snow and accumulated to over 5 days in Snyder adjacent to Buffalo, ending on December 27. At Buffalo Niagara International Airport, snowfall was on December 23, on December 24, on December 25, on December 26 and on December 27, for a total of . The snow total on December 23 also broke a daily record.December of 2022 will rank as one of the top three snowiest on record for Buffalo, WGRZ, January 1, 2023 To the north, Niagara Falls received of snowfall over the period. Buffalo experienced zero visibility/complete whiteout conditions from 9 a.m. on December 23 until 1 a.m. on December 25 and again from 5 a.m. until 7 a.m. on December 26. Buffalo's 37.5 consecutive hours of blizzard conditions was the longest blizzard in the city's history, as well as the longest blizzard of any city below in the United States.Colgate Professor Adam Burnett is unraveling the mysteries behind devastating lake effect snowstorms in the northeastern United States., Colgate University, August 16, 2023 Lasting nearly two full days, Buffalo's first blizzard since January 6, 2014 (as defined by the National Weather Service) forced snow into massive drifts, shuttering the city and leaving hundreds stranded. Winds in Buffalo gusted over for more than 24 consecutive hours and between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on December 23, winds exceeded every hour. The highest reported winds in Buffalo were . The blizzard also deposited high lake-effect snowfall amounts on the shores of Lake Ontario, with Henderson Harbor, near Watertown, recording with the Watertown area experiencing blizzard conditions for parts of December 23, 24 and 25. During the storm, wind chills in the Buffalo area dipped as low as .Buffalo's deadly blizzard by the numbers: What made the storm so historic, ABC News, December 28, 2022
At least 39 people died in Erie County alone,Buffalo storm victims: What we know about the lives lost, ABC News, December 29, 2022 surpassing the death toll from the Blizzard of 1977, which was previously regarded as the worst snowstorm in the region.Death toll from blizzard up to at least 38, surpasses Blizzard of ’77, News 4 Buffalo, December 27, 2022 The damage estimate by the National Climatic Data Center for the region was $15.5 million.Erie County Reports: December 22-27, 2022, NCEI The total death toll for the state was 47. A travel ban was put in effect for the Buffalo area on December 23 at 9:30 a.m. and remained in effect until December 29 at 12:01 a.m.Mayor Brown Lifts the Travel Ban in the City of Buffalo, City of Buffalo Press Releases, December 29, 2022 On December 27, state and military police were sent to Buffalo to enforce the driving ban to enable snow-clearing efforts to progress. The Erie County Sheriff indicated that over 420 EMS calls had gone unanswered because emergency vehicles were unable to travel through the deep snow. During the height of the blizzard, two-thirds of emergency vehicles sent out to rescue people had ended up needing to be rescued themselves. City officials say this marked the first time in Buffalo's history that the fire department could not respond to calls. Two Buffalo Sabres games were postponed due to the storm, with one being a road game in Columbus where the team couldn't leave due to Buffalo Niagara International Airport being shut down.Lightning-Sabres game postponed due to winter weather concerns in Buffalo, Bay News 9, December 21, 2022Buffalo Sabres game postponed due to winter storm, travel restrictions, Syracuse.com, December 27, 2022 The airport was shut down for nearly five full days amidst the snow.Buffalo Airport Set To Reopen After ‘Worst Ever’ Snowstorm, AviationPro, December 28, 2022 Interstate 190 and Interstate 290 shut down due to the storm.More of Thruway closed, all travel banned in Erie County as storm slams WNY, Syracuse.com, December 25, 2022 The New York State Thruway was shut down between Rochester and the border with Pennsylvania, with the international border crossings on Peace Bridge, Lewiston–Queenston Bridge and Rainbow Bridge closing.Parts of Thruway remain closed after historic blizzard, Syracuse.com, December 24, 2022 Niagara Falls partially froze due to the snowstorm.Tourists flock to frozen Niagara Falls as Buffalo’s devastating storm death toll continues to climb, The Independent, December 28, 2022 Over 100,000 customers in the region lost power during the intense storm as well.“Once in a Generation”: The 2022 Buffalo Blizzard, American Meteorological Society, October 12, 2023
Further north, the snowstorm in the Watertown area resulted in 200 cars being forced off the road and into snowdrifts, with portions of Interstate 81 shutting down.Recapping the blizzard of ‘22: It’s a lot of snow, 7News, December 26, 2022 The storm resulted in travel restrictions by the Thousand Islands Travel Authority from midday on December 23 through midday on December 24, with lingering delays afterwards.Thousand Islands Bridge Authority lifts storm restriction for high-profile vehicles, Ottawa CTVNews, December 24, 2022
Eastern New York In the Capital District, parts of NY-143 were shut down due to flooding.High Impact Storm - Thursday-Friday December 22-23, 2022 Heavy Rain and Strong Wind Event - Flash Freeze - Localized Upslope Snow Event, Slapointewx Wind gusts in Albany reached as high as .Capital Region Weather Stats. for December 2022 and the Past Year, CBS 6 Albany, January 4, 2023 East Nassau picked up of snow.12/23/2022: Brutal cold & wind settle in, News 10, December 23, 2022 Meanwhile, flooding and the flash freeze resulted in an ice jam in Pierrepont, forcing several to be rescued from their homes.A Review of the December 23-25, 2022 Multi Hazard Storm (High Winds, Flash Freeze/Snow Burst, and Heavy Lake Effect Snow with Blizzard Conditions), NWS Burlington, VT
In New York City, part of the Henry Hudson Parkway closed in The Bronx. The Verrazzano–Narrows Bridge was also closed down, and in southern Long Island, parts of the Meadowbrook State Parkway and Wantagh State Parkway were shut down. Large portions of Jones Beach State Park, Gilgo State Park and Robert Moses State Park were left underwater, with frozen floodwaters shutting down Orient Beach State Park.Ice is challenge for Long Islanders after a winter storm flooded streets and toppled trees, Newsday, December 24, 2022 The Long Beach Branch of the Long Island Rail Road was shut down in both directions between Penn Station and Long Beach due to flash flooding, and the Metro North Hudson line was temporarily suspended between Poughkeepsie and Peekskill because of flooding as well. The Staten Island Ferry was suspended for around an hour. All buses in Queens were delayed, with the Q53-SBS being totally suspended. LaGuardia Airport had 437 cancellations and 416 delays, while John F. Kennedy International Airport had 181 cancellations and 528 delays.Storm forces cancellation of hundreds of flights at Tri-State Area airports, CBS News, December 23, 2022 Major coastal flooding occurred in the city, with The Battery recording water levels as high as , with Jamaica Bay having water levels at , and Kings Point having water levels as high as . Heavy rainfall also affected the region, with of rain falling on December 23.December 22-24,2022 Strong Low Pressure and Arctic Outbreak, NWS New York, January 29, 2023 The storm resulted in over 27,000 power outages on Long Island.PSEG Long Island Storm Update — Friday, Dec. 23, 2022, 11 a.m., PSEG Long Island, December 23, 2022
Following the storm, the New York metropolitan area recorded their coldest temperature in nearly four years, since January 31, 2019.Temperature in NYC drops 50 degrees in 24 hours, first time area reaches single digits in nearly 4 years, New York Daily News, December 24, 2022 High temperatures on December 24 in the region were record lows at Islip, LaGuardia Airport and JFK Airport, and the coldest in 150 years on Christmas Eve at Central Park.
Aftermath On December 30, a flood watch was issued for the Buffalo area as a major warmup was predicted to cause the snow to rapidly melt.Historic snowfall in Buffalo area causes flooding threat as eastern US sees major thaw, Fox Weather, December 30, 2022
Following the storms, officials in Erie County worked to increase warning systems before storms. The National Weather Service stated there was ample notice of the storm.The Buffalo Christmas blizzard: One year later, WGRZ, December 22, 2023 On March 15, Joe Biden approved the disaster declaration for areas of Western New York, providing federal aid to the area.President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves New York Disaster Declaration, WhiteHouse.gov, March 15, 2023 USA Today later launched an investigation into the issue, discovering that there was no federal involvement during the first three days, that a lack of cooperation between Buffalo and Erie County officials led to over a thousand 9-1-1 calls being left unanswered, and flaws in the rescue system cut down on rescue attempts. At least one death was blamed on poor emergency response management.How Buffalo’s catastrophic storm response failed a woman in life, then in death, Democrat and Chronicle, July 12, 2023
On December 24, a gas emergency was declared by ConEd asking customers to lower their thermostats to prevent a "catastrophic" gas failure. In December 2023, a report revealed that the gas system nearly failed, which would have left millions without heat in the record cold conditions.Report reveals NY's perilous gas situation during 2022 winter storm, Olean Times Herald, December 4, 2023
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