Winter Storm — Schoharie, New York

2024-11-21 to 2024-11-22 · Schoharie, New York

Event narrative

Zone average snowfall of 7 inches.

Precipitation in Schoharie County initially began as rain in the early morning hours of November 21, 2024 before gradually transitioning to snow that same evening. According to local snowfall reports, the western portion of Schoharie County, containing a portion of the Eastern Catskills with elevations reaching 1500 to nearly 3000 ft, initially saw the transition from rain to snow around 4 PM. However, accumulations didn't begin until around 9 PM. These areas subsequently saw the county's highest snowfall accumulations, ranging from about 7-12 inches with a local maximum report of 14 inches. Additional reports indicated that the eastern portion of Schoharie County, containing some higher terrain within the Helderbergs but overall lower elevations in comparison, didn't see a transition to snow until 9 PM with no accumulations until after 10 PM. Here, snowfall accumulations generally fell between 3-6 inches with an isolated maximum report of 8 inches at one of highest peaks of the Helderbergs.

Wider weather episode

After a prolonged period of dry weather, a complex low pressure system impacted eastern New York from early November 21 through November 22, 2024. Over these two days, this storm brought region-wide rainfall and significant snowfall to the Eastern Catskills. Rainfall totals across most areas ranged from about 1 to 2.5 inches. Many areas also saw some snow, but accumulations generally fell below Advisory-level criteria outside of the Eastern Catskills. Within the highest terrain regions of Schoharie, western Greene, and western Ulster Counties, snowfall totals ranged anywhere from 7 to 16 inches with locally higher amounts maximizing at just over 18 inches. Here, liquid equivalents ranged anywhere from 2 to 3 inches with a local maximum of 3.67 inches associated with the maximum snowfall report of 18.6. The heavy, wet nature of the snow led to nearly 2000 power outages. Additionally, some schools were reported to have closed within the Mid-Hudson Valley area.

Key impacts: power outages, travel delays, school closures.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1219241. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.