Syracuse, New York, Tops 100 Inches of Snow With a Month of Winter Left

Brian Donegan
Published: February 21,2017
Despite the recent warmth in the central and eastern U.S., one city with a population of at least 100,000 people has officially surpassed the 100-inch mark for snowfall this winter. Syracuse, New York, reached this milestone last Thursday as Winter Storm Pluto departed the Northeast.
Although Pluto didn't directly impact central New York, the cold air and northwest winds on the backside of that system produced areas of lake-effect snow southeast of Lake Ontario, pushing the Salt City over the century mark.
(MORE: The Science Behind Lake-Effect Snow)
This may sound like a lot of snow to downstate New York residents, but Syracuse averages 124.7 inches of snowfall each winter (based on 1981-2010 seasonal averages), so it's nothing out of the ordinary.
However, it is a stark contrast to last winter, when only 80.3 inches of snow fell from October through April.
(MORE: The Great Lakes'Amazing Lake-Effect Snowfall Records)
Syracuse is in a prime location for snow because it can get wintry precipitation from three different sources. Most commonly, snow falls in central New York from lake-effect. However, Alberta Clipper systems are another way to get snowfall in the Salt City, and nor'easters sometimes spread light snow into the area, depending on the exact storm track.
Surprisingly, Syracuse is coming off their least snowy January on record; only 8.4 inches of snow accumulated during the entire month. January is typically Syracuse's snowiest month, with an average of 35.6 inches.
Winter Storm Argos in November gave Syracuse a big jump on the snowfall season. In fact, Argos was a record snowstorm for the city, dumping 25.1 inches of snow at Syracuse Hancock International Airport Nov. 20-22. It snowed for 58 and a half consecutive hours during this historic storm.
(MORE: Winter Storms 2016-17: The Season So Far)
As of Feb. 20, Syracuse has officially recorded 103.4 inches of snow since last October, roughly 9 inches above average through this point in the winter.

Any Competition?

It's unlikely any other large city will catch Syracuse this winter; closest is Rochester, New York, with 71.4 inches of snow, trailing Syracuse by 32 inches.
Most Syracuse residents likely agree that it hasn't felt like over 100 inches of snow fell this winter because it hasn't stuck around for very long. In fact, over the weekend, Syracuse climbed into the upper 50s Saturday and lower 50s Sunday, melting away much of the snow that fell last week.
For some, these April-like temperatures were warm enough to break out the shorts and spend the day outdoors because it's rare to get such mild temperatures in mid-February. The average high this time of year is in the mid-30s.
On the other end of the spectrum, some Midwestern cities are at risk of setting their least snowy winters on record. If St. Louis and Columbia, Missouri, see no additional snow this season, those two cities will set new records.
A snowstorm is possible in the Midwest and Plains later this week. However, St. Louis and Columbia are expected to be on the warm side, with temperatures in the 60s and 70s.
(MORE: Snowstorm Will Give Midwest, Plains a Reality Check Later This Week)

MORE: Winter Storm Orson

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.