ZCZC BUFPNSBUF
TTAA00 KBUF 131611

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...SNOWFALL TOTALS...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO, NY
1111 AM EST MON JAN 13 1997

...LAKE SNOWS WINDING DOWN AFTER SOME INCREDIBLE AMOUNTS...

THE OLD LAKE EFFECT MACHINE WAS FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS THIS WEEKEND 
AND DUMPED SOME AMAZING TOTALS...ESPECIALLY OFF LAKE ONTARIO. THE 
ACTIVITY HAS WEAKENED CONSIDERABLY THIS MORNING BUT IT WILL NOT SHUT 
DOWN COMPLETELY FOR ANOTHER DAY OR TWO...BUT FURTHER AMOUNTS SHOULD 
ONLY A FEW INCHES. THE FOLLOWING IS A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE EVENT:

...LAKE ERIE...
THE SNOWBANDS SET UP EARLY FRIDAY OVER THE NIAGARA PENINSULA AND 
NIAGARA COUNTY AND DROPPED SEVERAL INCHES BEFORE SHIFTING SOUTH INTO 
THE BUFFALO METRO AREA DURING THE AFTERNOON. THE ACTIVITY BECAME 
SOMEWHAT DISORGANIZED FRIDAY EVENING BEFORE INTENSIFYING AGAIN OVER 
SOUTHERN NIAGARA COUNTY AND BUFFALO'S NORTHERN SUBURBS EARLY SATURDAY 
MORNING. OVER A FOOT FELL IN JUST 4 HOURS OVER AMHERST AND TONAWANDA 
SATURDAY MORNING BEFORE THE BAND SHIFTED SOUTH ACROSS BUFFALO AND 
INTO SKI COUNTRY BY LATE AFTERNOON. THE BAND THEN DRIFTED NORTH INTO 
THE SOUTH TOWNS AND INTENSIFIED SATURDAY EVENING...DROPPING OVER A 
FOOT OVERNIGHT IN HAMBURG AND ORCHARD PARK. THE ACTIVITY THEN DRIFTED 
SOUTH AGAIN INTO SOUTHERN ERIE AND NORTHERN CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY SUNDAY 
AFTERNOON BEFORE WEAKENING FURTHER BY THIS MORNING. 

SNOWFALL TOTALS WERE REMARKABLY CONSISTENT FOR A LAKE ERIE EVENT WITH 
THE ENTIRE BUFFALO AREA SHARING IN THE WEALTH. THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS 
WERE IN THE 24 TO 30 INCH RANGE OVER HAMBURG AND EAST AURORA...WITH 
18 TO 24 INCHES OVER AMHERST...CLARENCE...AND TONAWANDA. A BIT LESS 
FELL IN BUFFALO. VIRTUALLY NOTHING AT ALL FELL SOUTH OF A 
SINCLAIRVILLE TO ELLICOTTVILLE LINE.

THE BUFFALO AREA RECOVERED QUICKLY AND ALL ACTIVITIES WERE OPERATING 
NORMALLY BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

...LAKE ONTARIO...
THE SNOWBANDS SET UP FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING OVER NORTHERN 
JEFFERSON AND ST LAWRENCE COUNTIES NEAR THE ST LAWRENCE VALLEY 
(UNUSUALLY FAR NORTH). UP TO A FOOT FELL WITH WHITEOUT CONDITIONS. 
THE BAND THEN SETTLED SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE WATERTOWN AREA SATURDAY 
MORNING BEFORE REACHING THE TUG HILL SATURDAY AFTERNOON. THE BAND 
THEN STALLED AND DUMPED SNOWFALL AT THE RATE OF 3 TO 6 INCHES PER 
HOUR FOR UP TO 12 HOURS OVER THE SAME AREAS! THIS ACTIVITY FINALLY 
BEGAN TO MEANDER AND WEAKEN LATE SUNDAY AND LAST NIGHT.

REPORTS WERE RECEIVED FROM SEVERAL DIFFERENT SPOTTERS ON THE TUG HILL 
WITH ALMOST UNPRECEDENTED AMOUNTS. TWO SPOTTERS IN REDFIELD IN 
NORTHEAST OSWEGO COUNTY REPORTED 65 AND 67 INCHES RESPECTIVELY (IN A 
48 HOUR PERIOD)...A SPOTTER IN NORTH OSCEOLA TOTALLED 75 INCHES...AND 
THE HAMLET OF MONTAGUE CAUGHT A PRODIGIOUS 91 INCHES. 40 INCHES OF 
THIS FELL IN AN 8 HOUR PERIOD EARLY SUNDAY AND APPROXIMATELY 60 
INCHES IN A 24 HOUR PERIOD. ABOUT 68 INCHES WAS ON THE GROUND THIS 
MORNING THERE.

SUCH SNOWFALL TOTALS EXCEED ANY AMOUNT ON RECORD IN NEW YORK STATE 
FOR SUCH A SHORT PERIOD...BUT IT MUST BE REMEMBERED THAT THESE 
STATIONS ARE LOCATED IN AREAS WHICH PREVIOUSLY HAD NO OBSERVERS. 

SOME SPECIFIC SNOWFALL TOTALS SINCE FRIDAY INCLUDE:

...LAKE ERIE...

...ERIE COUNTY...
.HAMBURG........... 24 TO 30 INCHES
.ORCHARD PARK...... 20 TO 24 INCHES
.EAST AURORA....... 24 INCHES
.EDEN.............. 24 INCHES
.CLARENCE.......... 23 INCHES
.TOWN OF TONAWANDA. 20 INCHES
.AMHERST........... 18 TO 23 INCHES
.CHEEKTOWAGA....... 21.4 INCHES (NWS BUFFALO)
.BOSTON............ 18 INCHES
.GRAND ISLAND...... 18 INCHES
.WALES............. 17 INCHES
.WEST SENECA....... 16 INCHES
.COLDEN............ 14 INCHES
.BUFFALO CITY...... 12 TO 18 INCHES
.SPRINGVILLE....... 12 INCHES
.SILVER CREEK...... 10 INCHES

...NIAGARA COUNTY...
.NORTH TONAWANDA... 14 TO 17 INCHES
.LOCKPORT.......... 14 INCHES
.NIAGARA FALLS..... 12 INCHES
.LEWISTON..........  8 INCHES
.YOUNGSTOWN........  6 INCHES

...GENESEE COUNTY...
.DARIEN CTR........ 14 INCHES
.BATAVIA........... 10 INCHES

...WYOMING COUNTY...
.VARYSBURG......... 18 INCHES
.BENNINGTON........ 17 INCHES

...CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY...
.DUNKIRK/FREDONIA.. 12 TO 18 INCHES
.SINCLAIRVILLE..... 3 INCHES
.JAMESTOWN......... 1 INCH

...CATTARAUGUS COUNTY...
.PERRYSBURG........ 10 INCHES
.ELLICOTTVILLE.....  1 INCH


...LAKE ONTARIO...

...LEWIS COUNTY...
.MONTAGUE.......... 91 INCHES (SEE DISCUSSION ABOVE)
.NORTH OSCEOLA..... 75 INCHES
.HIGHMARKET........ 47 INCHES
.LOWVILLE.......... 34 INCHES
.BARNES CORNERS.... 33 INCHES

...OSWEGO COUNTY...
.REDFIELD.......... 66 INCHES (2 REPORTS)
.LACONA............ 34 INCHES
.OSWEGO............  7 INCHES
.WEST MONROE.......  4 INCHES
.FULTON............  2 INCHES

...JEFFERSON COUNTY...
.MANNSVILLE........ 28 INCHES
.ADAMS............. 18 TO 24 INCHES
.WATERTOWN......... 12 TO 18 INCHES
.CHAUMONT.......... 12 INCHES
.WELLESLEY ISLAND... 8 TO 12 INCHES

THIS WILL BE THE FINAL SNOWFALL TOTAL REPORT FOR THIS EVENT...BUT 
THERE WILL BE OTHERS!!! ONE NOTE OF INTEREST...LAKE ERIE FELL TO 32 
DEGREES AT BUFFALO THIS MORNING...AND ICE SHOULD BEGIN TO FORM OVER 
THE LAKE DURING THE NEXT WEEK...CUTTING DOWN ON LAKE EFFECT 
POTENTIAL. BUT LAKE ONTARIO USUALLY REMAINS OPEN FOR THE ENTIRE 
WINTER.

MCLAUGHLIN