Winter Storm — Northern Fulton, New York

2020-02-06 to 2020-02-07 · Northern Fulton, New York

Event narrative

A 43-year old woman was killed (indirect) on Route 30 just south of Woods Hollow Road at 10:40 am on Friday, February 7th when her car crossed into oncoming traffic and struck a tractor trailer head-on. Winter weather is believed to be a factor in the crash.

Wider weather episode

Multiple rounds of wintry precipitation impacted portions of eastern New York on the 6th and 7th. The first was a round of light to moderate snow after midnight on 6th to around sunrise, which resulted in one to five inches of snow along and north of the I-88/I-90 corridor. Then, periods of freezing rain occurred from the afternoon of the 6th into the morning of the 7th mainly along and north of I-90. Reports of a quarter to a half an inch of ice accretion were received in the western Mohawk Valley and southern Adirondacks into Washington County. The freezing rain quickly turned to heavy snow during the afternoon of the 7th as a strong low pressure system passed south of the area. This round of snow resulted in a quick 6-12 inches of accumulation in the Mohawk Valley, southern Adirondacks, and Lake George Saratoga Region, with snowfall rates of one to two inches per hour were common. In the wake of the snowfall, westerly winds gusted to 40-55 miles per hour in the afternoon and evening of the 7th, highest south of I-90.

The weight of the heavy snow and ice on trees along with strong winds resulted in numerous reports of downed trees and powerlines. Nearly 90,000 customers lost power, with Saratoga (46,000) and Warren (22,000) Counties being hit the hardest. Over half of Warren County was without power, prompting warming shelters to be opened. Several accidents occurred due to the snowy and icy roads across the southern Adirondacks and Lake George Saratoga Region, including one fatality in Mayfield, and major damage to a fire engine in Chester. A man in Lake Luzerne was injured when he was pierced in the leg while driving a vehicle, and a Thurman Highway Department truck was damaged when a tree fell onto it. Travel was discouraged due to the conditions in Saratoga Springs.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 877756. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.