Long Duration Snow Storm - Heavy Accumulations
Saturday February 7 - Monday February 9, 2015

A mainly light intensity snowfall spanned the better part of three days from Saturday February 7 through Monday February 9, 2015 as a result of a stationary overrunning pattern which set up due to strong cold high pressure locked to the region's north and a run of weak low pressure systems tracking along a stalled frontal boundary to the region's south. The bulk of the snow fell from Sunday afternoon through 9pm on Monday with three day storm totals of 10"-15" from Schoharie County on north through the Mohawk valley, Adirondacks, Lake George-Saratoga Region, Washington County, Vermont, and northern Berkshire County with pockets in this region with amounts elevated above 15". A general 8"-10" snowfall occurred across much of the remainder of the region with 5"-8" of snow in the mid Hudson Hudson valley. Although snow accumulations were heavy in the end, overall snowfall rates were generally quite light through the duration of the storm which accounted for the slow accumulations and gradual snow build-up over the protracted period of time.

Photograph contributed By Upstate NY Weather via Twitter: Deep snow cover during the storm 2/9/2015, no specific Capital Region location provided

Deep snow covering Capital Region Shrubs, February 9, 2015


Set-Up Saturday February 7
Cold high pressure moving across southeast Canada drove an arctic frontal boundary across New York and New England to kick off the extended period of cold and snow which would ensue. The front, coupled with an upper level disturbance, produced areas of light snow, especially during the afternoon and into the night, as it moved south and introduced a colder air mass into the region. Snow accumulations through midnight across eastern New York and western New England were quite light, generally amounting to 1" or less. The boundary pressed south, stalling out over Pennsylvania through Sunday morning, as a north to northeast wind drained down cold air resulting in daytime temperatures on Sunday in the low to mid teens in valley areas, with low 20s in higher elevation locations. The deepening cold air served as an efficient overrunning surface for warm moist air to ride up and over as generally weak waves of low pressure traveled along the boundary through Monday the 9th. The overrunning process produces lift which created the snow.

Sunday February 8
Aside from a narrow axis of briefly moderate to locally heavy snow early in the morning which tracked across the southern Adirondacks to Rutland and northern Bennington County, VT, little snow fell through the first half of the day. Snow did, however, develop and expand in coverage through the afternoon continuing through the night. Generally light snowfall rates of 1/2" per hour or less occurred with brief and localized bursts of moderate snow scattered throughout the region at times. Steadier snows fell across the Mohawk Valley, southern Adirondacks, lake George-Saratoga Region and in Vermont for a longer period of time on Sunday accounting for snow accumulations which ranged from 3"-7" on average through midnight. Elsewhere, snowfall ranged from generally 1"-4" through midnight with the lightest amounts of snow in the mid Hudson valley. Snow consistency was quite dry with air temperatures generally in the teens with slow accumulates rates aided by poor dendrite ice crystal growth due to the strongest lift in the atmosphere occurring in a layer much lower than the optimum snow growth layer where colder temperatures aloft were located.

Monday February 9
A steady snow fell from midnight through 9pm with snow tapering to batches of snow showers and ending between 9pm and midnight. A persistent overrunning pattern established itself across the Northeast with a steady zone of lift being generated as a slightly stronger low pressure system moving southeast from Ohio into the mid Atlantic forced warm moist air over the cold air being fed into the region from the arctic high situation to the region's northeast over southeast Canada. A mid level low pressure system enhanced snowfall during the late afternoon and evening as it became a little more convective in nature due to cooling temperatures aloft. Snowfall rates through Monday were generally light, 1/2" per hour or less, but were punctuated by brief and more numerous periods of near 1"/hour snowfall rates which occurred sporadically throughout the region. Some of the heavier snow bursts, which were quite localized, occurred during the evening when the mid level low pressure system tracked right over the Capital Region. With that system's passage, snow did finally in all areas by midnight. Additional snowfall accumulations of 4"-8" occurred with locally up to 10" in higher elevation locations and in the Mohawk valley and northwest Saratoga County where significant three day storm totals of 15"-17" were reported. A three day storm total of 10" was measured officially for the event at Albany.

Photograph Contributed By Upstate NY Weather via Twitter: Huge snow banks 2/9/2015, no specific Capital Region Location Provided


Growing snow banks in the Capital Region on February 9, 2015


Photographer: WeatherNet 6 weather watcher Daniel Hartwig Sr. Savoy, MA, Berkshire County. 18.1" of new snow

Very deep snow on top of the mountain in Savoy, MA, February 9, 2015 


WeatherNet 6 Observed Snowfall Distribution for the February 7-9, 2015 Long Duration Snow Storm

WeatherNet 6 Observed Snowfall Distribution for the February 7-9, 2015 Storm 

WeatherNet Three Day Storm Total Snowfall Reports for February 7-9, 2015

Town County Snowfall Report Town County Snowfall Report
Pittsfield, MA Berkshire 7.5" Lanesborough, MA Berkshire 11.5"
Savoy, MA Berkshire 18.1 Clarksburg, MA Berkshire 8"
           
Colonie Albany 9" Newtonville Albany 10.9"
Latham Albany 9" Knox Albany 8.3"
Glenmont Albany 7.8" Cohoes Albany 10.5"
Guilderland Albany 9.5"      
           
Taghkanic Columbia 6.5" Livingston Columbia 5.8" to 6.5"
Ancramdale Columbia 5.1" Chatham Center Columbia 7"
Kinderhook Columbia 6.9" Hudson Columbia 5"
Austerlitz Columbia 14"      
           
Fish House Fulton 14.5" Gloversville Fulton 11.8"
           
Norton Hill Greene 12" Catskill Greene 5.5" to 7"
Durham Greene 9.5" Greenville Greene 13.5"
Round Top Greene 7" Halcott Greene 8"
           
Piseco Hamilton 13" Wells Hamilton 13.3"
           
Fonda Montgomery 14" Palatine Bridge Montgomery 12.5"
Glen Montgomery 15.5" to 16" Amsterdam Montgomery 11.6" to 15.5" to 16"
Florida Montgomery 14" Stone Ridge Montgomery 11.6"
           
Worcester Otsego 10" E. Worcester Otsego 9.5"
Oneonta Otsego 8" Cherry Valley Otsego 9.5"
           
Grafton Rensselaer 14" Lansingburgh Rensselaer 11"
Wynantskill Rensselaer 8" Speigletown Rensselaer 10.5"
Center Brunswick Rensselaer 11.5"      
           
Saratoga Springs Saratoga 13.5" Clifton Park (Oaks) Saratoga 9"
Charlton Saratoga 11.3" Lake Desolation Saratoga 14"
Malta Saratoga 14" Hadley Saratoga 14"
Porter Corners Saratoga 17.3"      
           
Scotia Schenectady 9" Duanesburg Schenectady 10"
Princetown Schenectady 17.8"      
           
Richmondville Schoharie 15" Summit Schoharie 12.5" to 14"
Jefferson Schoharie 16" Charlotteville Schoharie 15.6"
Middleburgh Schoharie 13"      
           
Phoenicia Ulster 7.5" Whiteport Ulster 6"
Saugerties Ulster 8.3" Ulster Park Ulster 7"
           
Queensbury Warren 12.3" Warrensburg Warren 14"
Brant Lake Warren 10.5"      
           
Hebron Washington 14.5" Hudson Falls Washington 12.2"
           
Landgrove, VT Bennington 13.4" Woodford, VT Bennington 22.8"
Pownal, VT Bennington 18.7" Manchester, VT Bennington 14.5"
Pawlet, VT Rutland 15.5" Danby, VT Rutland 13"
West Rutland, VT Rutland 12"