Power Outage in Rochester, NY

Trees and powerlines were reported to be down on Frost Avenue.

Trees and powerlines were reported to be down on Hawthorne Street.

Trees and powerlines were reported to be down and blocking a road.

Numerous large tree limbs and powerlines were reported to be down.

Dozens of reports of trees and powerlines down were received.

Several reports of trees and powerlines down were received in Irondequoit.

Trees and powerlines were reported down.

Many reports were received of trees and wires down throughout the county causing substantial structural damage to homes and businesses. Thousands were reported without power.

Freezing rain combined with wind caused multiple trees to fall and power lines to fall.

Strong winds downed trees and power lines.

Broadcast media reported power lines down on Buffalo Road.

Thunderstorms winds downed numerous trees and power lines.

Law enforcement reported trees and power lines down.

Strong winds downed trees and power poles.

A pair of low pressure systems tracked along the New York/Pennsylvania state line bringing widespread sleet and freezing rain across much of western New York. Significant icing occurred resulting in scattered downed tree branches and nearly 20,000 without power at the height of the storm. Selected ice totals included 0.71 inch at Buffalo Airport, 0.55 inch at Avon, and 0.5 inch at Scottsville, Warsaw, Le Roy and Elma Center.

A historic lake effect blizzard occurred northeast of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario during the Christmas holiday weekend. The combination of high winds in excess of 70 mph and heavy lake effect snow resulted in devastating impacts across western New York and also east of Lake Ontario from December 23 through December 27. ||Warmer air initially was in place over the majority of the region with widespread middle and upper 30s being common in the pre-dawn hours on December 23. Bombogenesis occurred with an incoming surface low pressure center that crossed the Great Lakes and brought abruptly colder and vastly windier conditions into the area behind its adjoining cold front. Rain quickly transitioned to snow immediately behind the front, while temperatures and wind chills went into a free fall. This dramatic drop in temperature led to a flash freeze behind the front Friday morning, and by noon, temperatures across western New York were in the teens with wind chills already well below zero. ||Temperatures off the surface took a tumble Friday and yielding strong lake-induced instability over the fully open waters of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. This produced ideal lapse rates needed for lake effect processes. Meanwhile, a 240 degree flow over the lakes produced a long fetch, particularly over Lake Erie. Finally, unidirectional winds with speeds of 50-60 knots in a well-mixed boundary layer led to instantaneous blizzard conditions across the Niagara Frontier and Northtowns northeast of Lake Erie and across Jefferson County northeast of Lake Ontario. In fact, blizzard conditions started at the Buffalo Airport at 8:39 AM and at 1:44 PM at Watertown Airport on Friday, December 23. The strong winds led to wider and longer lake bands across the region. Due to the extreme conditions, snowflakes were shredded into fragments as they fell. This led to terrible visibility and impossible driving conditions. The highest wind gusts were recorded Friday morning northeast of Lake Erie and Friday afternoon northeast of Lake Ontario. Some of the highest wind gusts include 79 mph at the base of the Buffalo Skyway, 72 mph at the Buffalo Airport, 74 mph at Niagara Falls, 59 mph at Watertown Airport, and 54 mph at Fort Drum Airfield. The strength of these winds led to widespread power outages northeast of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario including the cities of Buffalo and Watertown. ||The lake bands shifted slightly to the north Friday night, which compounded the impacts across the Buffalo and Watertown Metro areas. Snow added up quickly northeast of the Lakes with totals of 1-2 feet across northern Erie, southern Niagara, and northern Jefferson counties by Saturday morning. A daily snowfall record of 22.3 inches at Buffalo Airport was recorded on December 23. Snowfall rates were very hard to quantify due to the strong winds. The lake band shifted slightly north across Niagara, Orleans, and northern Erie counties Saturday. The backing winds led to a shorter fetch across Lake Ontario, therefore the band weakened across northern Jefferson county Saturday afternoon. After 24.5 consecutive hours of blizzard conditions, the blizzard ended at the Watertown Airport at 2:25 PM, December 24. Meanwhile northeast of Lake Erie, southwest winds continued to blow 50 to 60 mph Saturday with continued blizzard conditions, even for locations just outside of the bands due to blowing and drifting snow. Snowfall totals closed in on 3 feet at the Buffalo Airport by Saturday evening. ||The blizzard ended at the Buffalo Airport at 9:54 PM on December 24. By Sunday morning, a shortwave trough moved across the eastern Great Lakes, which finally led to a notable wind shift. Winds further weakened as they veered westerly. This wind shift led to a greater fetch off of Lake Ontario, which allowed for lake effect snow to intensify across Jefferson County and eventually the Tug Hill. Meanwhile, east of Lake Erie, lake effect bands moved south and settled across the Southtowns by late Saturday night. Snowfall rates of two to three inches per hour were persistent east of Lake Erie Saturday night through Sunday. Snowfall rates of three to four inches per hour were estimated across the Tug Hill by Sunday. Snow totals surpassed 2 feet across Jefferson County by Sunday evening. The rising sun showed the impact of the historic blizzard across the Northtowns Sunday morning. Scenes included high drifts of snow, ongoing power outages, untouched roads, closed interstates, and hundreds of stranded cars. ||A deep trough persisted across the eastern United States with cold air still providing conditions ideal for lake effect processes across the eastern Great Lakes Sunday night into Monday. Boundary layer flow backed to the west-southwest across Lake Erie late Sunday night, and the lake band moved back north through the City of Buffalo with snowfall rates of one to two inches per hour. The band continued to move north and weaken due to an increase in wind shear and shorter fetch. An intense lake band persisted east of Lake Ontario with three to four inch per hour rates across southern Jefferson and Lewis counties Sunday night into Monday. A wind shift to the southwest weakened and moved the lake band into northern Jefferson County by Monday afternoon. The last hurrah came Monday night when synoptic moisture reinvigorated the lake bands northeast of both Lakes. By Tuesday morning, the lake effect event ended as strong subsidence moved into the Great Lakes region. Storm total snowfall amounts exceeded 50 inches northeast of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. ||The historic blizzard and lake effect snow event spanned five days and included the Christmas holiday. This high impact event led to school and government closures on Friday, December 23, impossible travel, and widespread power outages across the Buffalo and Watertown Metro areas. The blizzard led to the loss of lives in Niagara and Erie counties. The halt to the transportation sector included closures on the New York State Thruway (I-90) from Rochester, NY, to the Pennsylvania state line and travel bans across Niagara and Erie counties that lasted 1-2 days after blizzard conditions ended. The Buffalo and Watertown Airports closed for multiple days during the holiday weekend.||Selected storm total snowfall reports from this five day event include 59.7 inches in North Tonawanda, 51.9 inches at the Buffalo Airport, 48.3 inches at Henderson Harbor, 47.2 inches in Watertown, 50.8 inches in Deferiet, 14.4 inches in Highmarket, 9 inches in Richland, 8.2 inches in Brockport, 19.3 inches in Warsaw, 16 inches in Batavia, 44.6 inches in Lake View, 37 inches in Orchard Park, 32.5 inches in Kenmore, and 9.6 inches in Mayville.||Additionally, with the extremely strong wind gusts, the fourth largest seiche on record on Lake Erie occurred. A notable seiche was evident on Lake Ontario, as well. Heavy freezing spray from the lake ensconced lakeshore homes with ice, and water ended up closing Route 5 in Hamburg. Lake Erie at Buffalo peaked at 10.7 feet and was in flood for 17 hours. The seiche on Lake Ontario likewise raised the water level 2 feet at Cape Vincent.

A 50 to 55 knot low level jet was moving across western New York during the morning hours as a pre-frontal surface trough was moving through. A 30-40 mile wide swath of steady light rain preceded the surface feature. While there were no visible convective elements within the swath of rain, there was embedded convection just prior to the rain moving through, and there was impressive elevated instability present. The rain temporarily stabilized the air mass to the point where the stronger winds from aloft could not mix to the surface, but as the rain tapered off, winds quickly ramped up with gusts of 40-50 mph. Initial wind gusts over Niagara County were as expected, however just as the rain ended further to the south and east, gusts of 55-60 mph were experienced with damage. The convectively-enhanced winds brought down some trees and caused power outages, mainly across the Genesee Valley and especially the Southern Tier. The radar did show a wavy line of showers moving through the Genesee valley at the time of the highest winds, with the damaging winds coming immediately in the wake of the steady rain across the Southern Tier. This was likely convectively-enhanced wind damage given its proximity to the wavy line of showers and also because winds quickly dropped back to gusts of 30-35 mph.

A deepening area of consolidated low pressure tracked from the north shoreline of Lake Erie to Toronto, and then along the northern shoreline of Lake Ontario Thursday evening, October 31st. This system brought recorded breaking Halloween rains to our region, damaging wind gusts, a large Lake Erie seiche, a smaller Lake Ontario seiche, and river flooding in the North Country (Cayuga, Black and Moose River). Southwest winds increased dramatically on Halloween evening following a cold frontal passage. Immediately behind the front, winds were southwest and channeled across the typical locations northeast of Lake Erie from Dunkirk to the Niagara Frontier and eastward to Rochester. Southwest wind gusts were 45 to 50 mph. Potential vorticity analysis of this system was impressive, with the 1.5 PVU surface descending to below 700 hPa. This suggested a tropopause fold and intrusion of stratospheric air into the troposphere, which enhanced lapse rates and mixing potential. Furthermore, a fairly impressive isallobaric fall/rise couplet clipped the Niagara Frontier and then the Saint Lawrence Valley. With 75 knots of flow off the ground and mixing from the tropopause fold crossing the area, a secondary wind maxima to this wind event occurred overnight Thursday and into Friday with warning criteria winds. Thousands of power outages occurred across the area, and pervasive wind-related damage closed hundreds of roads and did countless tree damage across a vast swath of the area. A seiche occurred on Lake Erie, with water rising to just over 9 feet above low water datum just past 8 pm at Buffalo. A second push brought the lake up to 10.67 feet above low water datum with the tropopause fold induced winds. Lakeshore flooding inundated Canalside in Donwtown Buffalo, portions of Grand Island, Hoover Beach in Hamburg, and caused over $5.5 million in damage to homes and property in Erie County alone. Substantial damage was done to the Buffalo breakwall as well as continued destruction of the Dunkirk breakwater from the previous high water event on the lake from October 27. Enough damage was done across New York to have a Presidential Disaster Declaration. Heavy rain also brought flooding concerns. All three climate stations broke their daily October 31 records with 1 to 3 inches of rain falling across the CWA. Wind speeds peaked near and just after midnight on November 1 across most of the area. The maximum values included 61 mph in Fredonia, 59 mph at the Buffalo Airport, 63 mph in Cape Vincent, and 62 mph at Niagara Falls.

A deepening area of consolidated low pressure tracked from the north shoreline of Lake Erie to Toronto, and then along the northern shoreline of Lake Ontario Thursday evening, October 31st. This system brought recorded breaking Halloween rains to our region, damaging wind gusts, a large Lake Erie seiche, a smaller Lake Ontario seiche, and river flooding in the North Country (Cayuga, Black and Moose River). Southwest winds increased dramatically on Halloween evening following a cold frontal passage. Immediately behind the front, winds were southwest and channeled across the typical locations northeast of Lake Erie from Dunkirk to the Niagara Frontier and eastward to Rochester. Southwest wind gusts were 45 to 50 mph. Potential vorticity analysis of this system was impressive, with the 1.5 PVU surface descending to below 700 hPa. This suggested a tropopause fold and intrusion of stratospheric air into the troposphere, which enhanced lapse rates and mixing potential. Furthermore, a fairly impressive isallobaric fall/rise couplet clipped the Niagara Frontier and then the Saint Lawrence Valley. With 75 knots of flow off the ground and mixing from the tropopause fold crossing the area, a secondary wind maxima to this wind event occurred overnight Thursday and into Friday with warning criteria winds. Thousands of power outages occurred across the area, and pervasive wind-related damage closed hundreds of roads and did countless tree damage across a vast swath of the area. A seiche occurred on Lake Erie, with water rising to just over 9 feet above low water datum just past 8 pm at Buffalo. A second push brought the lake up to 10.67 feet above low water datum with the tropopause fold induced winds. Lakeshore flooding inundated Canalside in Donwtown Buffalo, portions of Grand Island, Hoover Beach in Hamburg, and caused over $5.5 million in damage to homes and property in Erie County alone. Substantial damage was done to the Buffalo breakwall as well as continued destruction of the Dunkirk breakwater from the previous high water event on the lake from October 27. Enough damage was done across New York to have a Presidential Disaster Declaration. Heavy rain also brought flooding concerns. All three climate stations broke their daily October 31 records with 1 to 3 inches of rain falling across the CWA. High winds and lakeshore flooding continued into November 1.

Two rounds of mixed winter precipitation moved over the area with warm air aloft overriding a deep layer of cold air at the surface. This resulted in sleet initially that transitioned to freezing rain before temperatures eventually increased above freezing. Several areas saw nearly an inch of sleet combined with around one half of an inch of freezing rain. This resulted in thousands of power outages and substantial tree damage.

Low pressure across the mid-Atlantic rapidly intensified as it tracked across central New York. The winds were especially strong along the Lake Ontario shoreline counties. The winds downed trees and power lines. Some structural damage was reported. There were reports road closures due to downed limbs and wires. Several tens of thousands were without power due to scattered outages. Wind gusts were measured to 71 mph at Oswego.

A cold front slowly advanced its way across the eastern Great Lakes region during the overnight and early morning hours. The thunderstorms produced damaging winds and large hail. Hail up to 1.75���, fell in East Pembroke in Genesee County. The thunderstorm winds downed trees and power lines. Route 183 near Williamstown and Route 11 in Hastings were blocked by debris. Two homes in Monroe County, one in Brockport on Monroe-Orleans County Line Road and one in Penfield on Pipers Meadow Trail, were struck by lightning during the pre-dawn hours. All occupants were able to get out without injury.

Strong winds followed the passage of a cold front across the area. The winds increased during the afternoon hours and evening hours of April 4th. Wind gusts as high as 59 mph were measured. The strong winds downed trees and power lines throughout the region. A portion of Route 19 in Warsaw was closed by downed trees and wires.

Unusually deep low pressure moved from northwest Ontario across Hudson Bay. The low brought strong winds to the entire region with sustained winds up to 49 mph and wind gusts as high as 81 mph. A significant amount of damage resulted with hundreds of thousands left without power���over 100,000 in Monroe County alone. Particularly hard hit was the northern Genesee Valley region including parts of Orleans, Monroe, and Genesee counties. Trees and power lines were downed. Power poles were snapped. The strong winds derailed a train in Batavia (Genesee County). Twelve out of thirty-one freight cars were blown off the tracks. In Chili, a large section of fence was impaled into the second story of a house. Numerous flights into the Buffalo and Rochester Airports had to be diverted due to the winds. This in turn resulted in cancellation of some outbound flights from those airports. Measured wind gusts included: 81 mph at Rochester Airport (Monroe County), 76 mph at Batavia (Genesee County), 75 mph at Hamburg (Erie County), 72 mph at Niagara Falls Airport (Niagara County), 70 mph at Tonawanda (Erie County), 69 mph at Fredonia (Chautauqua County) and East Aurora (Erie County), 67 mph at Brockport (Monroe County), 66 mph at Buffalo Airport (Erie County), 65 mph at Warsaw (Wyoming County), 63 mph at Dunkirk Lighthouse (Chautauqua County), Fort Drum (Jefferson County) and Medina (Orleans County), 61 mph at Oswego County Airport, Fulton (Oswego County), 60 mph at East Amherst (Erie County) and Rush (Monroe County), 59 mph at Springville (Erie County), and 58 mph at Delevan (Cattaraugus County), Brant (Erie County), York (Livingston County), and Clifton Spring (Ontario County). Measured Sustained winds included: 49 mph at Batavia (Genesee County), 47 mph at Gates (Monroe County), and 43 mph at Fredonia (Chautauqua County), Barker (Niagara County), and Warsaw (Wyoming County). The wind damage several buildings including ones in Batavia (Genesee County), Rochester Airport, Spencerport and Greece (Monroe County), Alden and East Amherst (Erie County), Barker (Niagara County) and Gowanda (Cattaraugus County). Falling trees damaged homes or automobiles in Irondequoit, Braddock Bay, Webster and Brighton (Monroe County), Lancaster, Lackawanna and Tonawanda (Erie County), Ontario (Wayne County), York and Geneseo (Livingston County), Lockport and Pendleton(Niagara County) and Lyndonville (Orleans County). Minor injuries were reported to drivers of tractor trailers overturned by the wind in Rapids, Newfane and Niagara Falls (Niagara County), Covington and Bennington (Wyoming County). Amherst (Erie County), York (Livingston County), and Alexander (Genesee County).

Strong winds followed the passage of a cold front across the area. The winds increased during the evening hours of March first before subsiding by daybreak on the second. Gusts as high as 64 mph were measured. The strong winds downed trees and power lines throughout the region. The wind damage several buildings including ones in: Batavia (gas station canopy knocked over), North Collins (roof off trailer on the Seneca Nation), and Akron. Falling trees damaged homes or automobiles in: Rochester (on North Clinton Avenue), Blasdell, Webster, Portageville and Irondequoit. Measured wind gusts included: 64 mph at Rochester Airport, 62 mph at Oswego Airport and near Warsaw, 61 mph in Boston and near Batavia, and 58 mph near Fredonia.

Gusty winds accompanied the passage of a deepening storm system crossing the upper Great Lakes. Wind gusts were measured to 64 mph at Dunkirk, Batavia and Niagara Falls Airport. Other wind gusts included: 60 mph at Buffalo Airport and 58 mph at Fort Drum and Rochester Airport. The strong winds downed trees and power lines. Several thousand customers were without power. Numerous roads were closed because they were blocked by fallen trees. Structural damage was reported in Buffalo and Cheektowaga as roofs were blown off the Buffalo Motor and Generator Corporation and the gymnasium of a school. There was also damage reported to several home and cars caused by falling trees. The Skyway in Buffalo was closed for several hours due to the wind conditions making travel on the elevated span unsafe.

With warm, humid air in place, the passage of an upper air disturbance initiated scattered showers and thunderstorms across the region. Some of these storms reached produced damaging wind gusts that downed trees and power lines. Hail up to one-half inch in diameter was reported near Lakeville in Livingston County. Just south of Canandaigua, a lightning strike was the cause of a fire at a local restaurant.|The thunderstorms also produced brief downpours. In Geneseo, a culver was washed out on North Lima Road.

On Sunday, January 10th, deep low pressure crossed Ohio during the morning, southern Ontario through the day, reaching Quebec Sunday evening. The system dragged a cold front across the region during the late afternoon hours. Ahead of the cold front, southeast wind resulted in downslope wind off the Chautauqua Ridge. Wind gusts were measure to 66 mph at Dunkirk. Also ahead of the front, southeast winds channeled down the Black River valley. Across the entire south shore of Lake Ontario, winds increased following the front. The strong winds brought down trees and power lines. Utilities reported thousands without power scattered throughout the region. Some of the falling trees damaged homes and automobiles. Specific wind gusts downwind of Lake Ontario included: 68 mph at Oswego,64 mph at Olcott, 63 mph at Watertown Airport, 59 mph at Fort Drum and 58 mph at Rochester Airport.

Thunderstorms developed along outflow boundary in a warm, humid airmass during the late evening hours. The thunderstorms produced damaging winds and large hail. Although wind gusts were measured to 58 mph at the Rochester airport, after a NWS survey of the damage it was estimated that wind gusts were probably 65 to 70 mph. The storms produced a swath of damage extending across southern Monroe, southwest Wayne and northern Ontario counties. Isolated damage was also reported from storms in Sodus, in Wayne County, and later in the evening in Manchester and Clifton Springs in Ontario County. The storms downed trees and power lines throughout the three county region with several reports of significant structural and property damage. Hail, up to one inch in diameter, was reported in Fairport. The NWS surveyed damage in Ogden Center, Gate, Chili, Henrietta, Pittsford, Fairport and Bushnell Basin.

A line of thunderstorms crossed the Niagara Frontier and western Finger Lakes during the evening hours. Two storms merged over Monroe county and produced isolated damage. Trees and power lines were reported downed by thunderstorm winds near Churchville and Chili.

In the wake of a cold front, strong, damaging winds developed across parts of the area���mainly downwind of Lakes Erie and Ontario. Wind gusts were measured to 62 mph at the Buffalo Airport, 60 mph at the Rochester Coast Guard and 58 mph at the Niagara Falls and Rochester Airports. The winds downed trees and powers lines across the eight county area. Other significant reports included: large roof vents torn off buildings in Batavia, and utility poles snapped off in Batavia and Albion. Tens of thousands were without power.

Deepening low pressure tracked from western Lake Erie across far southern Ontario to Quebec dragging a cold front across the region. Strong winds increased to near 60 mph about two to three hours after the cold front passage. The strong winds downed trees and wires across western New York. Scattered power outages resulted. Some specific damage locations included: Richmond Ave in Niagara Falls, Telegraph Road in Shelby, St. Paul Boulevard in Irondequoit, Baker and Braunview Roads in Orchard Park, Lockport Road in Oakfield and Shortmond Road in Ripley.

A sharp cold front crossed the region during the overnight/early morning hours. For a brief period in the wake of the front winds increased across the region. The winds gusted as high as 60 miles per hour. Downed trees and power lines were reported from Chili Center, Covington, Hamburg, Victory, Dansville and Belmont.

A surface front stalled across the region acted as a pathway for periods of heavy precipitation. South of the front, rain fell however to the north the precipitation fell as freezing rain. Ice coated trees, power lines and all exposed surfaces. Across the Niagara Frontier, ice accumulations of a half- to one-inch were reported. Across the north country, where the freezing rain persisted the longest, the ice accumulations ranged from one to two inches. The weight of the heavy ice brought down trees and power lines. In some cases, trees fell on homes, buildings and automobiles. Tens of thousands were left without power. New York State issued an Emergency Declaration for Jefferson and Lewis counties���the hardest hit of the region.

Rapidly deepening low pressure tracked from the Upper Great Lakes to James Bay and brought strong winds to the entire region. The winds, gusting as high as 68 mph, brought down trees and power lines throughout the region with numerous reports of damage from downed trees. Power outages were in the tens of thousands. In Stafford, the winds tore a portion of a roof off a house. In Pulaski, a man was blown off a two-story building while installing a new metal roof. A gust of wind blew off the piece of metal roofing that he was hanging onto off the structure. He was transported to the hospital where he later died from his injuries. Other reports of damage were received from Angola, Dickersonville, Abion, Buffalo, Stafford, Carthage, Croghan, Newark, Victory, and Fulton. Specific measure wind gusts included: 68 mph at Dunkirk; 63 mph at Rochester Airport and Niagara Falls Airport; 61 mph at Barcelona; and 59 mph at Buffalo Airport.

Deep low pressure lifted across the Great Lakes region. The system brought strong winds to much of the region on Friday, November 1st. Winds gusted as high as 62 mph. The strong winds downed trees and power lines throughout the region. Power outages were in the tens of thousands. In addition to minor structural damage to homes and building, a number of houses and automobiles were damaged by falling trees and limbs. In Buffalo, one person was injured when a large limb fell hitting a car and a pedestrian. Reports of damage were received from Niagara Falls, Buffalo, Angol, Hulberton, Rochester, Batavia, Portageville, Geneseo, Bristol, Butler Center, Ira, Albion Center, Watertown and Lowville. Specific measured wind gusts included: 62 mph at the Buffalo Coast Guard Station, 60 mph at Barcelona Harbor and Kenmore, 59 mph at Buffalo Airport and Niagara Falls Airport, 58 mph at Dunkirk Airport, 56 mph at Rochester Airport, 55 mph at the Oswego Coast Guard Station, 54 mph at Alabama, and |50 mph at Watertown Airport.

Scattered thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours. An isolated thunderstorm over Monroe County produced damaging winds which downed trees and power lines in the Town of Greece.

Thunderstorms developed over the northern Finger Lakes along a lake breeze in a warm humid air mass. The thunderstorms produce damaging winds which downed trees and power lines. These were reported in Shelby Center, Fairport, Pittsford, Macedon, Palmyra, Newark and Lyons. The thunderstorms also produced hail up to one inch in diameter in Waterport. Between one-and-one-half and two-and-one ���half inches of rain was measured across parts of Monroe and Wayne Counties. This amount of rain in a very short time resulted in poor drainage flooding in the City of Rochester. Several city streets were inundated, included Amsterdam Road and Monroe Avenue.

Thunderstorms developed along various boundaries within a warm and moist air mass over the region. Storms first developed across the Finger Lakes midday along the Lake Ontario lake breeze and then in the mid afternoon along the Lake Erie lake breeze boundary as it pushed inland across the Southern Tier. The strongest storms produced one to two inch hailstones. Specific hail reports were received from Stanley, Geneva, Newark, Walworth, Marion, and Brockport. In several of those locations, automobiles were damage by the hail stones. Later in the afternoon thunderstorms rolled across the North Country with downed trees and power poles reported.

Low pressure moved across the lower Great Lakes swinging a strong cold front across the region. In the wake of the front, strong westerly winds overspread the area. The wind downed trees and power lines. Utilities reported scattered outages across the region. Specific wind gusts recorded included: 63 mph at Dunkirk, 60 mph at Oswego and 59 mph at the airports at Buffalo, Rochester and Watertown.

A deepening storm system moved across the Upper Great lakes. The system brought strong, damaging winds to the entire region late Saturday night into Sunday (20th-21st). Trees, power poles and wires were brought down by the winds. Numerous roads were blocked by fallen trees, wires and debris. Some structural damage was also reported. Some of the more significant reported included: an awning ripped off in Lancaster, roof trusses were downed on an building under construction in Batavia, part of a metal roof blown off in Portageville, a trailer was damaged by a fallen tree in West Bloomfield, ladder assembly blown off a silo near Constableville, and a boat was destroyed by a fallen tree in Livonia. Utilities reported tens of thousands without power for a time. Specific measured gusts included: 77 mph at Oswego lake shore; 69 mph at Dunkirk; 66 mph at Olcott; 62 mph at Barcelona and Watertown; 61 mph at Buffalo Airport and Niagara Falls Airport; 59 mph at Jamestown, Rochester Airport, and Youngstown; 55 mph at Wellsville; 54 mph at Fort Drum; 52 mph at Fulton; and 51 mph at Livonia.

Remnants of Hurricane Sandy brought strong winds and heavy rains to western and north central New York. Rainfall amounts of two to five inches were measured across the area with some area creeks reaching bankful. The high winds downed trees and power lines throughout the region. Wind gusts were measured to 60 mph. Tree damage was greater than usual with such wind speeds because of saturated ground and northeast winds - opposite of the normal prevailing southwest direction. Utilities reported tens of thousands of customers without power across the entire region. Specific measured gusts included: 60 mph at Irondequoit Bay; 59 mph at Dunkirk; 58 mph at Watertown; 56 mph at Oswego; 52 mph at Fulton; 50 mph at Youngstown; 47 mph at Wellsville; 46 mph at Jamestown; and 45 mph at Buffalo.

Thunderstorms developed in unseasonably warm and muggy conditions across the Genesee Valley���away from the stabilizing effects of the Great Lakes. The thunderstorm winds downed trees and power lines in Castile, Brighton and Webster. Dime-sized hail was reported in Warsaw.

Deep low pressure moved from the Midwest across Lake Huron into Quebec. Southeast winds gusting to 55 mph quickly shifted to southwest and increased to 30 to 40 mph with gusts nearing 70 mph. The strong winds downed trees and power lines. A few autos were reported damaged by falling trees. Several reports of downed signs and structural damage to roofs and awnings were also received. Some school districts in the area either cancelled classes or delayed start as a result of wind damage. Utilities reported several tens of thousands without power at the peak of the storm. Specific gusts included: 69 mph at Niagara Falls Airport, 68 mph at Clarence, 67 mph at Kenmore, 66 mph at Rochester Airport, 63 mph at Buffalo Airport and Dunkirk, 62 mph at Buffalo Coast Guard Station, 60 mph at Youngstown Coast Guard Station, and 59 mph at Barcelona, Irondequoit and Fort Drum.

Low pressure over the Ohio Valley deepened as it lifted northeast across the Great Lakes then down the St. Lawrence Valley. The low brought strong winds to the region. Trees and power lines were downed. Scattered power outages were reported. In Niagara Falls, a traffic light was blown down. It fell onto a passing car and broke the back window. There were four occupants in the car; none were injured. Some structural damage was reported (sheds blown over, awnings blown off, etc) but nothing major. Measured gusts included: 67 mph at Dunkirk; 63 mph at Oswego Coast Guard; 61 mph at Barcelona; 59 mph at Walworth; 58 mph at Niagara Falls and Kenmore; 55 mph at Buffalo Airport; and 53 mph at Rochester Airport.

Strong winds developed across the entire area in the wake of a strong cold front and associated with a deep low pressure center that moved across southern Ontario. Winds gusts to around 70 mph and remained quite strong all night. The strongest winds occurred along the Lake Erie shoreline to the Chautauqua Ridge and the Lake Ontario shoreline from Henderson Bay to the St. Lawrence River. Throughout the region, the strong winds downed trees and power lines. Several autos were reported damaged by falling trees. Several reports of downed signs and minor structure damage were also received. Some school districts in the area either cancelled classes or delayed start as a result of wind damage. Utilities reported several tens of thousands without power at the peak of the storm. Specific gusts included: 72 mph at Rochester, 69 mph at Dunkirk and Oswego, 63 mph at Barcelona, 62 mph at Olcott, 60 mph at Irondequoit, 59 mph at Buffalo, 58 mph at Alabama and Fort Drum, and 46 mph at Dansville.

Hurricane Irene tracked northeast along the Atlantic Coast and brought gusty winds to the eastern sections of the area. Measured winds gusted to 40 to 45 mph. Normally winds of this magnitude are not strong enough to cause damage however the ground was west and the north to northeast flow opposite of the prevailing direction for the region. Trees are anchored for the prevailing direction and are susceptible to even marginally strong winds from the opposite direction. Downed trees and lines were reported in Greece and Rochester (Monroe county), Sodus and Lyons (Wayne county), Hannibal, Fulton, Mexico and Redfield (Oswego county), Lowville and Martinsburg (Lewis county), Manchester (Ontario county), and Victory (Cayuga county). Utilities reported several thousand customers without power.

Thunderstorms that moved across the area produced winds gusting to 60 mph. The winds downed trees and power lines in Ontario and Marion (Wayne County) and in Fairport (Monroe County). A falling tree destroyed a Cadillac Escalade in Walworth and not far away another tree crashed onto a home breaking through the roof and knocking down the chimney. Hail up to three quarter inch in diameter fell in Greece, Monroe County.

A slow moving cold front crossed the region during the late evening and early overnight hours. The thunderstorms produced wind gusts measured to 65 mph. Numerous localities across the region report trees and power lines downed. In Palmyra, Wayne County, power poles were snapped. In Ripley, Chautauqua county, an RV Camper was blown over.

Following the passage of a strong cold front, strong synoptic winds developed across western New York. The strong winds downed trees and power lines. In Niagara County, several power poles were snapped in the hurricane-force winds. In Alabama, Genesee county, a tractor trailer was blown over by the winds. Specific measured wind gusts included: 83 mph at Niagara Falls Airport; 63 mph at Buffalo Airport and Youngstown; 62 mph at Rochester Airport; 61 mph at Barcelona; 60 mph at Olcott; and 58 mph at Jamestown Airport and Grand Island.

Thunderstorms developed ahead of an approaching cold front during the late afternoon hours. In Monroe County, the thunderstorms produced strong winds that downed trees and power lines. At the Long Pond Shores apartment complex in Greece, a large tree fell on part of the building. Fallen limbs were scattered along Lakeshore Road in Irondequoit. Electric Utilities reported about 150 homes without power in Irondequoit and Webster.

Thunderstorms developed ahead of an approaching cold front. The thunderstorms produced large hail and damaging winds. Hail up to an inch and three-quarters was reported in Ontario, Wayne and Jefferson counties. The thunderstorm winds downed trees and power lines in Lyons, Rochester, Brighton, Clayton, Cape Vincent, Elba, Adams Center, Fulton and Constableville. Utility companies reported thousands without power. In Calcium, a large tree fell onto a house. In Lafargeville, the strong winds resulted in damage at the Can-Am Motorsports Park. A roof was torn off, bleachers damaged, and a tower section of spectator luxury boxes was damaged.

Deep low pressure passed over western New York with its trailing cold front rapidly sweeping east across the region. Winds increased within a few hours of the approaching front to gust speeds of 60 to 65 mph. Tens of thousands were left without power. There were reports of vehicles and/or buildings damaged by falling trees in: Niagara Falls, Ransomville, Rochester, Olean, and Perry just to name a few. The high winds were blamed for several delayed flights at both Buffalo and Rochester airports. The Clayton Dock was damaged by the winds. In Clarence, a large tent at the Clarence Soccer club was blown over by the strong winds. Four people suffered injuries���one of which had to be hospitalized. Damages are estimated.

An upper level disturbance brought a round of thunderstorms to the Finger Lakes region during the early afternoon hours. Hail up to an inch and a half was reported and the thunderstorms winds downed trees and power lines. Several thousand customers lost power because of the storm. Poor drainage flooding was reported. The LPGA tournament at Locust Hill Country Club was temporarily suspended by the storms.

An unusually strong low pressure system crossed southern Ontario and brought strong winds to western New York. Winds gusts were measured between 50 and 55 mph at Buffalo and Niagara Falls. At Rochester airport a gust of 56 mph was measured. The windy conditions in Rochester interrupted the annual Lilac festival. A large tent erected for the graduation ceremonies at Nazareth College was blown down by the wind. Four people (three maintenance workers and one guest) suffered minor injuries in the collapse. The funneling effects of Lake Erie also resulted in downed trees and power lines across parts of Chautauqua county. In Cherry Creek, a large tree fell onto a house and two cars. In Falconer, a trailer was damaged by a downed tree.

Deep low pressure moved across southern Ontario and Lake Ontario to the New England coast. The track and intensity of the low resulted in high winds for much of western New York. Wind gusts were measured to 69 mph with widespread estimated gusts between 55 and 60 mph. The strong winds downed trees and power lines. Electric utilities reported nearly 100,000 customers without power at the peak of the storm. Specific measured wind gusts included: 69 mph in Dunkirk; 62 mph in Silver Creek; 62 mph in Angola, Yorkshire and Sherman; 60 mph in Warsaw and Barker; 59 mph in Hamburg; and 58 mph in Westfield and LeRoy.

A complex area of low pressure developed over the midsection of the nation and strengthened as it moved into the western Great Lakes region then into Quebec. Winds accompanying the system increased rapidly across the area ranging from 30 to 40 m.p.h. sustained readings with the strongest gusts downwind of Lakes Erie and Ontario. A peak gust of 75 m.p.h. was recorded at 8:21 a.m. EST at the Buffalo Airport. Close to 100,000 customers lost power during the storm and nearly 90,000 were without phone service. Downed trees damaged several structures and automobiles. The strong winds tore off roofs and shingles on many buildings. At the Buffalo Airport, wind gusts blew several jetways into the terminal building and the airport lost power during much of the storm. In Ripley, downed powerlines caused the closing of the eastbound lanes of the New York State Thruway. At Orchard Park, the wind tore a 2 feet by 50 feet section of the roof the Buffalo Bills field house. The wind picked up gravel and windows and windshields of numerous cars in the stadium parking lot were broken. Inside the stadium, the strong winds tilted both goal posts. Also near the stadium, a concession trailer was blown over with only minor injuries to the occupants reported. The Thousand Islands Bridge was closed for five hours after wind gusts flipped two southbound trucks.

A deepening storm system lifted out of the Midwest and tracked just west of Buffalo to near Ottawa and Montreal. This is a very favorable track for high winds across much of Western New York as strong gusty winds are further enhanced by the funneling effects of Lakes Erie and Ontario. The strong winds developed during the evening hours and continued until early morning of the 25th. The highest gusts exceeded 60 miles per hour. The winds downed trees and power lines with tens of thousands left without power. Specific reported wind gusts included: 62 m.p.h. at Watertown Airport and Rochester Airport; 61 m.p.h. at Eden and Oswego; 60 m.p.h. at Java Center; 59 m.p.h. at Oswego Coast Guard; 58 m.p.h. at Dunkirk, Alden and Hamburg; 55 m.p.h. at Buffalo Airport and Canandaigua; 54 m.p.h. at Fulton; and 52 m.p.h. at Wellsville.

The low center that was the remnants of Hurricane Ike reached the lower Great Lakes region during the late evening of the 14th and brought high winds to the area as it lifted from Indiana across southern Ontario. Wind gusts were measured to 66 mph. The winds downed trees and power lines throughout the area. The wet soil conditions contributed to the number of downed trees. Debris blocked many streets and highways. There were numerous reports of homes, building and automobiles being damaged by fallen trees. In Seneca Point, winds ripped the roof off a barn. Several school districts were forced to cancel classes on the 15th out of safety for the students. In Adams Center, about half of the pool roof at Clarke Senior High School blew off. A bumper crop of late season corn was damaged. It was estimated in Jefferson and Lewis Counties that nearly 70% of the crop was flattened. Marine interests were not spared the wrath of the storm. In Buffalo, three floating docks were ripped from their concrete footings and tilted making them inaccessible to several hundred slip holders. Two boats were capsized off Buffalo. In Chaumont Bay, Jefferson County, several boats were grounded when a dock broke adrift. The storm surge was estimated between 10 and 12 feet at the east end of Lake Ontario. In Oswego Harbor, two sailboats were sunk. Damages were estimated due to the widespread nature of the event. Specific measured wind gusts included: 66 m.p.h. at Oswego, 59 m.p.h. at Niagara Falls and Attica, 55 m.p.h. at Pembroke and Victor, 54 m.p.h. at Albion, 53 m.p.h. at Kendall, Brockport, Geneseo, and Canandaigua.

Thunderstorms rolled across the region during the late evening and overnight hours. The thunderstorms produced hail up to an inch and a half in diameter and damaging winds estimated to gust up to 65 mph. Hail was reported in Monroe and Ontario counties. Parts of northern Cayuga county were particularly hard hit by the damaging winds. Several thousand were reported without power throughout the region.

A pre-frontal trough well ahead of a cold front moved into a sultry airmass with ample instability and wind shear. A weak supercell formed near Erie, Pennsylvania and grew as it encountered an outflow from earlier convection. The storm continued to intensify as it moved across the western southern tier of New York and reach severe limits as it cross the eastern Finger Lakes and eastern Lake Ontario Regions of New York. The thunderstorms produced hail up to three-quarter inch in diameter and wind gusts were estimated to near 70 mph. The storms cut power to nearly 75,000 customers for several hours through the evening. Falling trees damaged homes and automobiles in Avon and York, Livingston county and Phoenix, Oswego and Sandy Pond in Oswego county. Oswego County was particularly hard hit. In Sandy Creek, between 500 and 600 trees were downed at the Elms Golf Club. The utilities reported about 100 power poles downed by the storms. Two funnels were spotted���one in Cayuga County and one in Jefferson County however no touchdown occurred in either case. One death occurred with the storms. In the town of Croghan, a 47-year-old logger was crushed by a falling tree.

Severe thunderstorms accompanied the passage of a cold front across parts of the Finger Lakes and the eastern Lake Ontario regions. Hail up to one inch in diameter was reported in Irondequoit, Rochester, Brighton and Walworth. The downburst winds from the thunderstorms downed trees and power lines in Oswego and Adams. Downpours that accompanied the storms caused brief urban flooding in the Rochester metro area.

Low pressure developed over the lower Mississippi valley and lifted to the Ohio valley. The storm brought a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain to the region. A general snow of four to six inches blanketed the entire region and was followed by several inches of sleet and up to a half inch of glaze from freezing rain. Schools were closed in many parts of the region. Some County officials declared States of Emergency, while others recommended no unnecessary travel. Utility companies reported scattered power outages affected tens of thousands of customers across the region.

A powerful cold front crosses western New York and was followed by very strong west to southwest winds. Sustained winds increased to 30 to 45 mph with gusts measured to 80 mph at the peak of the storm. Trees and power lines were downed by the strong winds. Utility companies reported close to 100,000 customers without power in locations scattered throughout region. Several homes and automobiles were damaged by falling trees and limbs. On Grand Island, the roof a manufacturing company sustained significant damage. The Buffalo Airport was closed between 8:30 a.m. and noon with over half of its scheduled flights canceled for the day. In downtown Buffalo, a building from the 1850s that had been damaged in an earlier January windstorm, sustained further damage and was deemed unsafe and to be demolished. The New York State Thruway was closed from Henrietta to Depew because of blowing snow and whiteout conditions. Two tractor trailers were blown over on the Thruway. In Irondequoit, the steeple of a church was blown down.

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 cold front crossed the region during the late afternoon hours. Thunderstorms accompanying the front produced damaging winds, estimated approaching 60 mph, which downed trees and power lines. Several thousand were left without power due to the storm. Specifically, damage reports were received from Batavia, Scottsville, Lima and Bristol.

Showers and thunderstorms accompanied the passage of a cold front across the region. The thunderstorms produced damaging wind that downed trees and power lines in Mannsville in Jefferson county, Pulaski in Oswego county, and Martinsburg in Lewis County. In Monroe county, two men were slightly injured when struck by lightning. In Pittsford, the man was working on siding. In Penfield, the man was a cable company employee. Both men were standing on ladders.

Low pressure over the Ohio Valley moved northeast and brought a strong cold front to the region. The thunderstorms that accompanied the cold front produced damaging winds which downed trees and power lines in Busti and Hinsdale in the southern tier and in Port Byron and Watson in the north central portions of the region.|The west to southwest winds following the cold front increased to 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 70 mph. The strong winds downed trees and power lines. Between fifty and seventy-five thousand customers were without power across the region. In Lockport, the roof blew off of the Niagara County Parks and Recreation Office. Falling trees damaged homes in Salamanca, Niagara Falls, Cheektowaga, and Williamsville. |Along the Lake Erie Shore, the water levels at the eastern end of the lake fell several feet ahead of the storm, then quickly surged as the winds shifted with the passage of the cold front. The lake level rose over ten-and-a-half feet in a matter of hours, peaking at 9.93 feet at the lake level gage at Buffalo. The high winds and waves made for treacherous driving conditions along the Lake Erie shore roads and resulted in minor flooding along the Niagara River.|Specific high wind gusts recorded by ASOS and Schoolnet sites included: 69 mph at Buffalo (downtown); 67 mph at Buffalo (Airport); 65 mph at Hamburg; 62 mph at Lackawanna; 59 mph at Alfred; 58 mph at Elma; 55 mph at Watertown Airport; 52 mph at Rochester Airport; and 50 mph at Fulton Airport.

Low pressure over Lake Superior brought a westerly flow of unseasonably cold air across western New York. Lake Effect rain began Thursday (10/13/06) morning. By midday the rain began mixing with graupel and thunder and lightning was reported. The cold air became deep enough to change the precipitation to wet snow across the Niagara Frontier by 2 p.m. Little accumulation resulted for the first few hours of snowfall. By between 5 and 8 p.m. accumulations began to reach the two to three inch mark. The weight of this heavy, wet snow on nearly fully-leafed trees began to weigh down and snap the trees. Conditions only worsened overnight with near constant thunder and lightning for nearly 12 hours.| The heaviest snowband set up across the northern suburbs of Buffalo in Erie County Thursday evening, then drifted south to the southern suburbs around midnight. The band of snow then lifted slightly reaching the City of Buffalo city and eastern suburbs in the wee hours before lifting north across the northern suburbs again around daybreak and eventually to Niagara county Friday morning where it weakened and changed back to rain. | Even though plenty of damage resulted already in the first few inches, total snowfall in this event was incredible. Five to eight inches fell in the first phase of the event between 3 p.m. and Midnight, but the snow-to-water ratio was around 6:1, hence the terrific damage to trees and powerlines. The second phase featured slightly drier snow, snow-to-water ratio closer to 12:1 but it piled up another foot in heaviest area in just 4 hours or so. | The 22.6 inches recorded at the Buffalo Airport by far exceeded any October record (6��� in 1909���only 4 falls of 2��� or more in 100 yrs in October), but was the 6th greatest snowfall ever at any time in Buffalo!| The crippling snows extended well east across Genesee and Orleans counties and into western Monroe county. Scattered power outages and downed trees were reported in Brockport where three inches of the heavy, wet snow fell. To the north, the snows pushed into Niagara County with a sharp cutoff to any damage along a line from Wheatfield to Medina. To the south, the cutoff ran along a line from Hamburg to East Aurora. | Governor Pataki declared a State Disaster Emergency in Erie, Genesee, Niagara and Orleans counties on Friday October 13. President Bush declared the four counties eligible for disaster assistance on October 24. (FEMA-1655-DR). By the beginning of December 2006, nearly $11 million in disaster grants and low-interest disaster loans were been approved. | Over 400,000 National Grid and New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG) customers lost power Thursday evening. Full restoration of power was not completed until 13 days after the storm with most regions being without power for about 5 days. Most area schools were closed for the entire week following the storm.| One death was directly attributed to the storm. In Amherst, a man was clearing snow in his driveway when a tree limb broke off, fell and crushed him. Fourteen other deaths were indirectly storm-related. This number includes four people who died from carbon monoxide poisoning from the improper use of generators and kerosene heaters. Over two hundred were treated for exposure to carbon monoxide. Seventeen were treated for hypothermia. | The seasonal timing and pre-conditions of the event only exacerbated the impacts. Only a couple inches of the heavy snow was needed to bring down the still fully leafed trees. In addition, the area had experienced a wet pattern prior to the storm. The wet ground made it easier for tree root systems to fail. Estimates to remove the debris from the storm is pegged at over $150 million. Over three million cubic yards of debris needed to be cleaned up.| Local and State Departments of Transportation were not prepared for such an early storm. Most were still in paving mode and had not prepared their equipment to plow snow. The heavy snow also made driving even more difficult. About a hundred mile stretch of the Thruway was closed. Hundreds of motorists were stranded between Pembroke and Angola. Some of these people were stranded for twelve to eighteen hours. Other transportation issues included motorists not being prepared for winter driving and tractor trailers not using the proper fuel mix for the wintry weather. Most areas initiated driving bans and declared States of Emergency early in the onset of the storm.| Daytime temperatures slowly moderated through the next week���around 50 on the 13th, 14th, and 15th then into the upper 50s to near 60 on the 16th and 17th. Overnight lows dipped back into the low to mid 30s. These conditions allowed for a slow snowmelt with relatively few flood issues. Any flood problems that did occur were primarily the result of trees and limbs blocking the normal flow channel.| Specific snow total reports received included: Depew, Lancaster and Alden - 24 inches; Buffalo Airport - 22.6 inches; Buffalo (north) - 20 inches, Buffalo (downtown) - 15 inches, Buffalo (south) - 10 inches; Amherst - 14 to 22 inches; Clarence - 16 to 22 inches; Tonawanda - 12 to 18 inches; West Seneca - 14 inches; No. Tonawanda - 6 to 12 inches; Hamburg - 8 to 14 inches; Orchard Park - 8 inches; Batavia -10 inches; Medina - 8 inches; Lockport - 6 to 8 inches; Grand Island (south) - 10 inches; Grand Island (north) 2 inches; Albion - 5 inches; and Brockport -3 inches.

Thunderstorms developed along a lake breeze during the afternoon hours. The thunderstorm winds downed trees in Hilton and Cato. Trees and power lines were downed in Cleveland.

Thunderstorms developed across the region as an upper level trough crossed during the afternoon hours. One and a half inch hail fell in Henrietta. In Rushford, the thunderstorm winds downed power lines.

Low pressure deepened as it tracked northeast into southern Ontario. The strong winds associated with the low downed trees and power lines throughout western New York and the north country. Damage from falling trees to buildings and automobiles was extensive. Over 150,000 were left without power during the peak of the storm. The strong winds blew over tractor trailer trucks in Macedon, Lyons and Palmyra. In Lewis County, six tractor trailers were blown over resulting in the shut-down of I-81 for several hours. The majority of school districts cancelled classes for the day. In Jefferson county, eight foot storm surges on the St. Lawrence River damaged docks and boathouses and flooded streets in Cape Vincent, Clayton and Alexandria Bay. In Gorham, a tree fell onto a schoolbus. Neither the driver or any of the dozen elementary school students on the bus were injured. In Irondequoit, a 52-year old woman was killed instantly when a tree fell on the car she was driving. Peak gusts recorded during the storm included: 81 mph at Lowville; 77 mph at Rochester; 75 mph at Fulton; 64 mph at Fairport; 62 mph at Watertown and Lockport; 61 mph at Brighton and Elma; and 60 mph at Hamburg.

Low pressure, the remains of Hurricane Arlene, moved northeast across the Great Lakes. The bands of showers and thunderstorms produced damage across parts of the Niagara Frontier and Finger Lakes. Heavy rains produced flash flooding in Livingston county--an area which received heavy rains on several consecutive days. Several streets were impassable from runoff debris. The strong winds downed trees and limbs in Le Roy, Stafford, Mendon, Livonia, Lockport, Kendall, and Clarkson. Power outages were scattered throughout the area.

Low pressure tracked across the eastern Great Lakes bringing strong winds to the Niagara Frontier, western Southern Tier, and Genesee Valley of New York. Sustained winds were measured to 44 mph while gusts to 63 mph were recorded. The winds downed trees and power lines and poles. Tens of thousands were without power. A car was demolished by a fallen tree in East Pembroke while another sustained damage in Snyder. Some roads were temporarily closed by downed trees, limbs and live wires.

A cold front stretching across the lower Great Lakes became nearly stationary. Occasional showers and thunderstorms persisted along the front during the late morning and early afternoon hours. Three-quarter inch hail fell in Franklinville, Cattaraugus county, while hail up to one-and-three-quarters inch was reported in Cleveland, Oswego county. The thunderstorm winds, estimated to 60 mph, downed trees and power lines in Caledonia, Livingston county; Henrietta and Brighton, Monroe county; Croghan, Lewis county; and Lorraine, Jefferson county. The training thunderstorms produced heavy rains leaving parts of Monroe and Wayne counties under water up to waist high. Weather radar estimates of rainfall totaled four to six inches over parts of those counties. A State of Emergency was declared in Wolcott, Wayne county.

A line of thunderstorms crossed Monroe County during the early morning hours. The thunderstorm winds downed trees and power lines leaving a couple of thousand customers without power. Nickel sized hail was reported in downtown Rochester.

Strong thunderstorms moved across the Genesee Valley, Western Finger Lakes and eastern Lake Ontario region during the afternoon hours. The thunderstorm winds, estimated to 65 mph, downed trees in Stafford, Spencerport, and Oswego. Power lines were downed in Adams. In Spencerport, a NWS survey determined damage to trees and several structures was consistent with straight line winds. In Ontario, Wayne county, the survey team determined the damage was caused by a weak tornado. The tornado touched down around 3:30 PM EDT. The initial touchdown occurred near the intersection of Willits and Lakeside Roads. Two homes, an automobile and a storage shed suffered damage. The tornado then touched down on Slocum Road where three more homes sustained damage and several large trees were felled. The final touchdown occured on Lake Road where the roof of a shed was torn off, trees were downed and a power pole and transformer were sheared off. The tornado winds were estimated between 75 and 100 mph. The path length was 2.25 miles, but the tornado was not on the ground the entire path length. The path width was 50 yards.

High winds downed trees and power lines across the lower Genesee Valley during the afternoon hours. Up to 15000 customers were without power for several hours. The hardest hit areas were Greece, Parma and Pittsford.

Low pressure over Illinois brought a mix of wintry weather to parts of the Genesee Valley, the Finger Lakes and the North Country. Across the North Country the precipitation mainly fell as snow mixed with sleet at times. Nine to twelve inches accumulated over the higher elevations. Across the Genesee Valley and the Finger Lakes, the precipitation fell mainly as freezing rain. Up to an inch of ice accumulation was measured. Hardest hit areas were eastern Monroe, Wayne and northern Cayuga counties. A Federal Disaster Declaration included Livingston, Monroe, northern Cayuga, Ontario, Orleans, Oswego, and Wayne counties. The heavy ice accumulation downed trees, limbs and power and telephone lines. Over 175000 customers lost power. In some cases power outages lasted for up to one week. Schools and businesses closed for several days. Over 100 shelters were opened to house people without utilities. The falling trees and power poles produced a significant amount of damage to structures and automobiles. In Cato, northern Cayuga county, a sixty-year-old woman was killed when an ice-laden maple tree fell onto and crushed the pickup truck she was sitting in. Agriculturally, fruit trees were severely damaged, especially the tart cherry trees in Wayne county.

Thunderstorms developed ahead of an approaching cold front. The thunderstorms produced damaging winds which gusted to near 70 mph. Damage consisted mainly of downed trees and power lines, although some structural damage occurred. In Bolivar, a house was damaged by a falling tree. In Oswego, falling trees damaged a fence and a downed telephone pole damage a car. In West Martinsburg, one-inch hail fell.

Thunderstorms developed in a warm, moist, unstable flow during the late morning and afternoon hours. The strong thunderstorms produced damaging wind gusts that downed trees and power lines, including a transmission line in Oswego county that cut power to more than 10,000 customers. An additional 8,000 lost power in the Rochester Metro area and 3,500 in the northern Finger Lakes region. The storms dropped over two inches of rain in a short period of time causing minor damage when drains and ditches overflowed onto roads and streets in parts of the Southern Tier, especially Allegany county. In Ontario, Wayne county, a stand of 30 pine trees were snapped midway up their trunks.

Thunderstorms moved across the region ahead of a cold front. The thunderstorms produced damaging winds and hail up to 3/4" in diameter. The winds downed trees and power lines and scattered power outages were reported. Structural damage to a barn and outbuildings occurred in Martinsburg. A home also suffered damage in Bushnell Basin.

Thunderstorms developed in warm, moist, unstable air during the afternoon and evening hours downing trees and power lines. Up to 5000 homes were without power at the peak of the storm. Hail up to 1 inch in diameter was reported in Perry, Wyoming county. The training thunderstorms dropped four to six inches of rain in two to three hours in a localized area from Phelps to Newark. A State of Emergency was declared that was declared in Newark remained in effect for a week with most schools and businesses closed during that time. Nearly 300 basements were flooded and several roads covered with up to a foot of water remained closed for several days.

Strong thunderstorms moved across parts of the Finger Lakes during the late evening hours. The storms downed trees and power lines in Chili and Canandaigua.

Thunderstorms ahead of a cold front crossed the western Finger Lakes region and eastern Lake Ontario counties during the morning hours. The storms produced damaging winds which downed trees and power lines across the area. In Clayton, Jefferson county, the winds tore a portion of a roof off a house. In Lewis county, power outages were reported from Lowville to Brantingham Lake.

Thunderstorms developed along lake breezes during the afternoon hour. The thunderstorm winds downed trees and power lines. In addition to producing hail up to an inch-and-a-quarter in diameter, the thunderstorms produced torrential rains which resulted in localized poor drainage flooding.

Thunderstorms rolled across the Niagara Peninsula and then along the Lake Ontario shore counties. Only small hail was reported with the storms, however the storms produced hurricane-force winds. A 86 mph wind gusts was recorded at the Niagara Coast Guard Station in Youngstown.The high winds buffeted the area taking down trees and power lines. A State-of-Emergency was declared in Youngstown where over 100 trees and many more branches were down in the small community. Various communities reported power outages of 12 hours or more. In Irondequoit, Monroe County, Kings Highway and Bayview Road caved in as a result of erosion.

Spring thunderstorms rolled in off Lake Ontario during the afternoon hours. The storms produced three-quarter inch hail and damaging winds that downed trees and power lines.