Weather History for January 9

JANUARY 9

1970 

Snowsqualls on the 8th and 9th through portions of Erie and adjacent counties produced more than a foot of snowfall in some sections along with near blizzard conditions. Hardest hit were Buffalo and northern suburbs where schools and industries were forced to close. Mail delivery was halted and sections of the thruway were closed.

1976 

Local lake effect storms buried the traditional snowbelt south of Buffalo on the 9th and 10th. Snow amounts reported ranged from a foot in West Seneca to three and a half feet in North Collins, Evans, and Angola. Wind driven snow caused whiteouts and drifts from 6 to 15 feet. Highway travel was paralyzed in these areas with many roads closed at times including the New York State Thruway between Lackawanna and Dunkirk. Most schools were closed in the snowbelt sections during this snowstorm. Only a trace of snow was reported in Buffalo.

1998

Western and central New York was drenched with unprecedented January rainfalls over a 36 hour period. All of the region received between two and four inches of rain...rain which fell on bare, saturated ground. The rapid runoff produced urban flooding as well as flooding of many small streams and creeks. A rainfall record was established at Buffalo. Numerous roads throughout the area were closed due to flood waters. Local firefighting and public works departments were called out to pump water from flooded basements. The floodwaters overwhelmed several area wastewater treatment plants and water emergencies were declared. States of Emergency were also declared in various locations within the area. Several school districts cancelled classes. In the town of Niagara, Niagara county, 575 homes were evacuated. Fifteen of the homes were deemed unsafe to live in while nine others suffered major damage. Many area gaged streams and rivers reached flood stage: At Watertown, the Black River crested at 16.0 feet...a record flood. The Genesee river crested at 36.4 feet at Avon ( highest since 1972) and at 16.8 feet in Rochester (highest since 1984). The Black Creek crested at Churchville at 9.2 feet (highest since 1960). At Garbutt, the Oatka Creek crested at 8.7 feet (a record flood). Levels on Buffalo, Cazenovia, Ellicott and Cayuga creeks crested about a foot or two above flood stage, but not significant damage was reported. Tonawanda creek crested over four feet above flood stage, the highest since 1985. One hundred homes had to be evacuated in Batavia. The Allegany river rose to about flood stage along the entire length from Portville through Olean and Salamanca.

1999

A general snowfall fell across the region as a result of a large weather system over the Ohio Valley. Most of the Niagara Frontier received six to nine inches of new snow. Across parts of the Genesee Valley and Finger Lakes, snowfall amounts were somewhat lower...a result of a brief changeover to freezing rain. To the east of Lake Ontario, snowfall amounts ranged from six to ten inches. Specific reports included: Springville 10"; Corfu 9"; Alden and Highmarket 8"; and Cassadaga 7".

2001

A storm over the Saint Lawrence River Valley brought heavy snow to the eastern Lake Ontario region during the late evening and early morning hours of the 09th-10th. At its heaviest snow fell at the rate of one to two inches per hour. Snowfall totals  ranged from six to ten inches across parts of Wayne, Oswego and Lewis counties.

2008

Low pressure over upper Michigan continued to deepen as it tracked across the northern Great Lakes to Quebec. Winds increased to 25 to 40 mph with gusts measured to 75 mph. Trees and power lines were downed by the strong winds. Utility companies reported tens of thousands of customers without power in locations scattered throughout region. Crews from Ohio, Connecticut and sections of eastern New York traveled to the area to help with power restoration which, in some cases, took several days. Several homes and automobiles were damaged by falling trees and limbs. The strong winds flipped five tractor trailers including ones on Route 12 in Denmark and on Route 81 between LaFargeville and Clayton. In Great Bend, the winds lifted a carport and deposited onto the roof of a home. Northwest Monroe County was particularly hart hit with four homes deemed uninhabitable. Several school districts closed or released students early because of the winds.

A powerful cold front crossed the region during early morning hours. The thunderstorms that accompanied the front produced damaging wind gusts measured to 75 mph. Trees and power lines were downed by the winds throughout the region. At the Buffalo Airport, a Boeing 737 on the ground was blown into a jet way and damaged. Several homes and automobiles sustained damage by falling trees and limbs. In Watertown, a roof was blown off a building.