Weather History for November 12

News Headlines

2024-2025 Winter Summary

Western New York Weather History

NOVEMBER 12

1992

An intensifying low pressure system moved from Illinois to southern Ontario on Thursday the 12th. Southerly winds on the east side of the low increased over Western New York during the late afternoon and evening hours. Sustained wind speeds between 50 and 55 mph were recorded at Buffalo Airport. Wind gusts peaked at 73 mph at Buffalo, 72 mph at Niagara Falls, 67 mph at Rochester, and 58 mph at Syracuse. The high winds downed power lines leaving an estimated 100,000 to 150,000 customers without power across the region. Storefront windows were reported blown in in Oakfield, Rochester, and Perry. The damaging winds downed trees and limbs. Structural damage from downed trees was reported in Lockport, Springville, Lily Dale, Williamsville, Sunset Bay, Elba and Rochester. Two persons were injured (one in Batavia and one in Niagara Falls) when they were struck by tree limbs which had crashed through the windshields of their autos.

The Peace Bridge, which crosses the Niagara River and links Buffalo, New York with Fort Erie, Ontario, was closed for nearly seven hours after high winds toppled two trailers as they crossed the span. One of the trailers fell onto two cars. No one was injured in that accident however. Another tractor-trailer was overturned on Route 63 in Covington. The driver of that vehicle was injured and taken to a local hospital. A mobile home in LeRoy was destroyed and a 15,000 bushel grain bin collapsed in Batavia. Both the Greater Canandaigua Civic Center and the Finger Lakes Racquet and Fitness Club in Canandaigua lost their bubble domes when the wind shredded the fabric coverings and collapsed the air filled structures. The damages at both facilities were estimated near $50,000 each. Due to downed trees and power outages, schools and businesses were closed Friday the 13th in Lancaster, Warsaw, Whitesville, Salamanca, Gowanda, Perrysburg, Dayton and South Dayton.

The strong southwest winds caused the water at the eastern end of Lake Erie to rise and produce flooding along the shores of Chautauqua and Erie Counties. The water level in Lake Erie rose three feet in a half hour. The residents of Hoover Beach in Hamburg had to be evacuated. In Dunkirk, Lake Front Boulevard was closed and was littered with flotsam and large chunks of blacktop that were torn up by the force of the waves. The Chadwick Bay Marina, also in Dunkirk, sustained severe damage. Nearly all of the boats had been removed for the season, however several floating docks were mangled by the storm.

The strong southwest winds had a similar effect on Lake Ontario. Flooding was reported at Chaumont Bay in Jefferson County.

1995

Temperatures in the 50s and lower 60s less than 24 hours earlier plunged into the 20s and lower 30s by early Sunday morning (November 12th) as Lake Ontario once again "came to life". Snow accumulations from lake effect snow ranged from 5 to 7 inches in Southern Jefferson and Oswego counties, 2 to 4 inches fell near the lake shore from Monroe county, across northern Wayne county, and into northern Cayuga county.