Lake Effect Storm G Summary
21-24 January 2026

Maximum Snowfall:  Lake Erie:      26.5" (Arcade)
		   Lake Ontario:   23.5" (Lowville)
Duration: ~72 Hours
Flake Scale: 2 Flakes

Overview:

A very cold and active winter pattern continued through the third week in January, with the 
seventh significant lake effect event of the winter season coming right on the heals of the sixth 
event. An impressive longwave trough remained entrenched across central and eastern 
Canada, with the southern extent of the trough stretching from the Great Lakes to New England. 
This trough maintained a continuous feed of cold air across the Great Lakes, supporting the 
ongoing busy lake effect pattern.

At the surface, a fast moving clipper moved from near Lake Superior on the evening of 21 
January to southern Quebec by 22 January, bringing with it a fresh batch of cold arctic air and 
changeable boundary layer wind direction. The variety of wind directions during the course of 
this event spread light to moderate accumulations across much of the region, with the heaviest 
accumulations focusing on the higher terrain east of the lakes where bands persisted the 
longest.

Off Lake Erie:

A broad area of light snow developed across all of Western NY on 21 January ahead of the 
approaching clipper system. An area of lake enhanced snow embedded within the light snow 
become heavy over the Buffalo Metro area and Genesee County during the afternoon. The 
clipper cold front then crossed Western NY during the mid to late evening, becoming lake 
enhanced as it crossed Lake Erie. This feature produced a fast moving but very intense squall 
of heavy snow moving from northwest to southeast across the region, with near zero visibility, 
gusty winds, and high snowfall rates. The frontal snow squall moved east and south across the 
Southern Tier, Genesee Valley, and Finger Lakes through the overnight hours of 21 January. 

There was a brief break in the snow during the pre-dawn hours of 22 January behind the initial 
cold front. Deepening cold air and moisture then allowed lake effect snow to re-develop during 
the early morning hours. Boundary layer winds oscillated several times through the day and 
evening of 22 January, with bands of heavy lake effect snow oscillating north and south several 
times across much of Western NY. The snow was heavy at times, with 2 to 3 inch per hour 
snowfall rates. Westerly flow then focused lake effect snow across southern Erie County and 
the western Southern Tier through the remainder of the event, with the snow bands gradually 
weakening through the day on 23 January. 

The frequent oscillations of the band and deep inland penetration at times resulted in moderate 
snow accumulations across most of Western NY, with the heaviest accumulations falling across 
the Boston Hills and western Wyoming County where the heavy snow persisted the longest.

Off Lake Ontario:

A broad area of light snow developed on the afternoon of 21 January ahead of the approaching 
clipper system. The light snow continued through the evening hours, then several bands of 
heavy snow crossed the eastern Lake Ontario region as the clipper cold front crossed Lake 
Ontario and became lake enhanced. There was a brief break in the snow around daybreak on 
22 January. Deeping cold air and moisture then allowed bands of lake effect snow to re-develop 
by mid-morning, with heavy snow oscillating north and south several times across the eastern 
Lake Ontario region through the day as boundary layer winds changed frequently over time.

The north to south oscillations continued through the night of 22 January, with a band of heavy 
snow moving from the southern Tug Hill region to Watertown and Fort Drum. Snowfall rates 
reached 2 to 3 inches per hour in the heaviest portion of the band overnight. Boundary layer 
winds locked into westerly flow through the morning hours of 23 January, with the band of heavy 
snow focusing on northern Oswego County and the southern Tug Hill Plateau for about a 10-
hour period, producing 2 to 3 inch per hour snowfall rates. Boundary layer flow gradually veered 
to the west-northwest by late afternoon on 23 January, carrying a band of heavy snow south 
across Oswego County. The band of snow moved farther south and west into Wayne and 
northern Cayuga counties and the Syracuse area through the evening hours, gradually 
weakening overnight as inversion heights lowered and drier air arrived.

The frequent band oscillations spread moderate to heavy snow accumulations across much of 
the eastern Lake Ontario region during the multi-day storm. The greatest accumulations were 
across the Tug Hill Plateau and adjacent lower elevations. The area of highest snowfall included 
Lowville, a rarity in the downslope shadow east of the Tug Hill Plateau.