Lake-Effect Snow in Northern Herkimer, New York

A multi-day lake effect snow event began on January 1, 2025 and continued into the evening hours on January 5, 2025. Low pressure tracked northward across the region on January 1 bringing a widespread rainfall, which gradually mixed with and changed over to snow during the afternoon and evening hours as colder air filtered back into the region. This low then tracked into Quebec and remained nearly stationary into January 3, 2025. Persistent west to west-northwesterly flow and a multi-lake connection during this time resulted in an oscillating band of heavy lake effect snow mostly impacting the Adirondacks and Mohawk Valley.

An upper level disturbance tracked through the region during the evening hours on January 3, 2025 weakening and disrupting the lake effect response into the early morning hours on January 4 as flow became more northwesterly. West to west-northwesterly flow and a multi-lake connection resumed by the afternoon hours on January 4 as another period of heavy lake-effect snow took shape across the Adirondacks and Mohawk Valley which continued into January 5. A north to northwesterly wind shift and the arrival of surface high pressure and drier air ended the lake-effect event by the early evening hours on January 5.

Snowfall totals of 1 to locally 5 feet fell across the Adirondacks and Mohawk Valley during this 5-day event with the highest totals occurring across central portions of Herkimer County, just north of the New York State Thruway.

Snow emergencies were declared for some municipalities in southern Herkimer County including the villages of Ilion and Dolgeville.

Key impacts: travel delays.