Rochester has seen hardly any snow this winter. What's going on?
Rochester is on track for one of the least snowy Januarys on record.
With only a trace amount of snow recorded on the ground so far this month, many wonder when the winter weather will really get underway. Outside the bitter cold wintry storm just before Christmas, Rochester has not seen more than an inch fall at a time at the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport this season.
To date, Rochester has seen 9.3 inches of snow this season - nearly 29 inches less than normal seasonal snowfall by Jan. 10, according to data from the National Weather Service in Buffalo. Meanwhile - Buffalo saw more than 101 inches of snow in the same timeframe, which included two major snowstorms, including last month's historic storm that dumped more than four feet of snow on the region and killed more than 40 people.
Snow totals in New York are down
National Weather Service meteorologist Jon Hitchcock said that many New York communities - outside of Buffalo - have experienced a slow start to the winter, with sparse amounts of snow tallied to date.
As of Jan. 10, just over 20 inches of snow fell in Syracuse this winter, which is about 31 inches less than the normal amount of snowfall for this point of the season, according to Weather Service records.
In Binghamton, 25.1 inches of snow were tallied as of Jan. 10, which is 7.3 inches below the city's normal seasonal (to date) snowfall. Weather Service data showed 12.9 inches of snow in Albany for the season, about 8.5 inches shy of the normal seasonal tally.
Only a trace amount of snow has fallen in New York City's Central Park as of Jan. 10. Typically, 7.7 inches of snow have fallen by this date, according to Weather Service records
How much snow does Rochester NY get in an average year?
On average, Rochester gets around 100 inches of snow each winter.
Last year, the 2021-22 season tallied 87 inches of snow, in which the snowiest month by far was January's 34.4 inches of snow. The least snowy winter on record was in 1932-33, when only 29.2 inches fell.
The snowiest overall season was in 1959-60, when 161.7 inches fell.
Rochester NY weather records in
According to the Weather Service, the least snowy January on record occurred in 1933, when only 1 inch was recorded. In contrast, the snowiest January on record was in 2004, when 61.3 inches were measured at the airport.
Other minimally snowy Januarys include 1921, when only 1.5 inches fell within the month, and in 1944, when 4 inches fell.
When will it snow in Rochester NY?
Hitchcock said forecasters expect some "minor snow accumulation" on Friday, starting around daybreak.
Rain on Thursday is expected to continue into Friday, then change over to snow before dawn.
Three to 5 inches of snow are expected to fall in Rochester by Saturday morning, with most of that snow falling during the day and into the evening on Friday, said Weather Service meteorologist Kirk Apffel.
Steady rain will start this afternoon and then change to snow from west to east late tonight into Friday morning. Snow accumulations and rates will be modest but still will impact the Friday morning and evening commutes. pic.twitter.com/xINCHwGYyT
— NWS Buffalo (@NWSBUFFALO) January 12, 2023
Motorists should expect slippery roads for Friday's evening commute, he said. The snow and rain may also impact the morning commute.
"A snowier pattern" is also predicted the final week of January and into February," Hitchcock said, "which means we may finally see some winter weather in Rochester."
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Rochester NY weather: How much snow has fallen this winter?
