The 10 worst winter storms in Western New York's history
Where do the lake-effect storms of November 2014 fall on our list of 10 of the worst winter weather events in Western New York’s modern history? Read on to see, and then let the debate commence.
The 10 worst winter storms in Western New York's history
10. The Ice Storm of 1976 -- It hit in early March and caused tens of thousands to lose power for days.
The 10 worst winter storms in Western New York's history
10. The Ice Storm of 1976 -- It would be even more memorable if not for what happened 10 months later.
The 10 worst winter storms in Western New York's history
10. The Ice Storm of 1976 -- Power outages lasted for days.
The 10 worst winter storms in Western New York's history
9. The Blizzard of 1993 -- Not much of a storm, really, but remembered because it came in mid-March with winter almost over and carried the rare u201cblizzardu201d classification.
The 10 worst winter storms in Western New York's history
9. The Blizzard of 1993 -- Not much of a storm, really, but remembered because it came in mid-March with winter almost over and carried the rare u201cblizzardu201d classification.
The 10 worst winter storms in Western New York's history
8. January 1985 u2013 The storm that launched a zillion six-pack references, thanks to then-Mayor Jimmy Griffinu2019s memorable advice, and closed some schools for days.
The 10 worst winter storms in Western New York's history
7. December 2001 -- When this happened, we all thought it was absurd how much snow fell in such a short time period: 25.2 inches in one 24-hour period.
The 10 worst winter storms in Western New York's history
7. December 2001 -- Given what happened in November 2014, this storm now seems a little less absurd.
The 10 worst winter storms in Western New York's history
6. November 2000 -- The snow started to fall at the worst possible time and led seemingly everyone who was downtown to think at the exact same moment, u201cI think Iu2019ll try to go home,u201d leaving thousands stranded and/or sleeping under their desks.
The 10 worst winter storms in Western New York's history
6. November 2000 -- This was the storm by which all other November storms were measured, until 2014.
The 10 worst winter storms in Western New York's history
5. December 2010 -- The precursor to what happened in November 2014. It was equal parts devastating and weird.
The 10 worst winter storms in Western New York's history
5. December 2010 -- Draw a line from Lake Erie through Cheektowaga. Everyone north of it was untouched. Everyone south of it got creamed. Thousands stranded on the Thruway led to reforms that probably led to far fewer people being stranded in November 2014.
The 10 worst winter storms in Western New York's history
4. The u201cwhite hurricaneu201d of November 1913 -- Six Coast Guardsmen lost their lives in Lake Erie, off Buffalo, while trying to warn others about the 80-mph winds that created 35-foot waves in the lake.
The 10 worst winter storms in Western New York's history
4. The u201cwhite hurricaneu201d of November 1913 -- An estimated 240 people lost their lives along the Great Lakes.
The 10 worst winter storms in Western New York's history
2 (tie). The October Surprise, 2006 -- Even while it was happening, it was hard to believe it could happen.
The 10 worst winter storms in Western New York's history
2 (tie). The October Surprise, 2006 -- It was largely a Northtowns event, and the effects can still be seen in neighborhoods where trees have never come back.
The 10 worst winter storms in Western New York's history
2 (tie). November 2014 -- It will take time to see if this holds up, but right now it feels like a slightly less destructive but longer-lasting version of the October Surprise.
The 10 worst winter storms in Western New York's history
2 (tie). November 2014 -- It was devastating, but for only a portion of the region; deadly; and shocking in its severity and duration.
The 10 worst winter storms in Western New York's history
1. The Blizzard of u201977 -- The Rose Bowl of storms; the granddaddy of them all. The winner and still champion because it did not pick one part of the region over another: It affected everyone.
The 10 worst winter storms in Western New York's history
1. The Blizzard of u201977 -- Amazingly, the official snowfall for the storm from Jan. 28 to Feb. 1 was 7 inches, but the combination of below-zero temperatures, sustained high winds that picked up acres of snow sitting on the frozen lake make this, still, one of a kind.
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