Snowfall history / Buffalo
Buffalo snowfall history: biggest storms and recent winters
Buffalo Niagara International Airport, the official National Weather Service station for Buffalo, recorded 92.5 in of snow in winter 2025-26, which is 2.9 inches below the NOAA 1991-2020 normal of 95.4 in. The ten winters from 2016-17 to 2025-26 ranged from 69.2 in (2019-20) to 133.6 in (2022-23). These are totals at one station, and snowfall varies across the Buffalo area.
Updated October 6, 2026. By Weather Decision Solutions. All guides
Buffalo snowfall over the last three winters at Buffalo Niagara
Each winter is counted from July 1 to June 30. The totals are National Weather Service observations at Buffalo Niagara International Airport, added up day by day.
| Winter | Snowfall at Buffalo Niagara | NOAA 1991-2020 normal | Compared with normal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | 71.3 in | 95.4 in | 24.1 in below |
| 2024-25 | 77.6 in | 95.4 in | 17.8 in below |
| 2025-26 | 92.5 in | 95.4 in | 2.9 in below |
The normal is the NOAA 1991-2020 average season snowfall for the same station. Over the ten winters from 2016-17 through 2025-26, Buffalo Niagara averaged 92.6 in a season.
The biggest Buffalo snowstorms of the last ten winters
These are the five largest storms at Buffalo Niagara from winter 2016-17 through winter 2025-26. Each total is the heaviest three-day stretch of a storm, taken from daily observations, with no day counted twice. A storm that fell in one or two days shows the days it snowed.
| Rank | Dates | Snowfall at Buffalo Niagara |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dec. 23-25, 2022 | 43.0 in |
| 2 | Nov. 17-19, 2022 | 36.6 in |
| 3 | Dec. 24-26, 2020 | 23.9 in |
| 4 | Jan. 17-19, 2024 | 22.1 in |
| 5 | Jan. 29-31, 2019 | 21.0 in |
This is a ten-winter window, not the full record. For earlier storms, the National Weather Service Buffalo office keeps longer histories. For the latest winter across major cities, see winter 2025-26 snowfall totals by city.
Why Buffalo snowfall varies across the metro
Lake Erie is the reason. The National Weather Service in Buffalo says that over half of the area's annual snowfall comes from the lake-effect process, and that it is very localized. When cold air crosses the relatively warm lake, snow falls downwind, and the direction of the wind decides where the bands land. Because of the prevailing winds, areas south of Buffalo receive much more lake-effect snow than places to the north.
NWS Binghamton notes that the bands can produce several feet of snow in a short time, with heavy snow in one place and sun a mile or two away. It cites November 17-19, 2014, when up to 7 feet fell downwind of Lake Erie just south of Buffalo. The lake effect also has a season. The Buffalo office says the lake snow machine starts as early as mid-November, peaks in December and virtually shuts down after Lake Erie freezes in mid to late January.
Buffalo does not see many heavy general snows, the office adds, because large storm systems usually pass well to the east. That is why the airport total can run well above or below a neighborhood a few miles away.
How to get the snow total for a specific Buffalo address
A Free Snow Report calculates the total for the street address and storm dates you enter, from nearby stations and trained observers, and emails it as two PDFs.
- Open the request page and verify your email. There is no password.
- Enter the street address, then pick the storm dates. One storm per report, up to three days, within the last ten years, and the last day must be at least two days ago.
- Get the Verified Report and the Full Report by email.
Each verified email gets three free reports. After that, a report is $39, and a ZIP pass covers many reports in one ZIP code for 12 months. Details are on the pricing page.
About these numbers
All station totals come from the official National Weather Service record for Buffalo Niagara International Airport, read through the NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS database and checked against a second official source, the National Weather Service daily climate reports or the NOAA NCEI daily archive. Where the preliminary climate report and the final archive differ by a few tenths on one day, this page uses the final archive. They are totals at one station. They are not an estimate for an address, and they are not a certified copy of the record. For certified copies, NOAA NCEI sells them through its data certification service.
Questions people ask
How much snow did Buffalo get last winter?
At Buffalo Niagara International Airport, the official National Weather Service station, winter 2025-26 (July 1 to June 30) brought 92.5 in of snow. That is 2.9 inches below the NOAA 1991-2020 normal of 95.4 in. Snowfall changes across the metro, so a given neighborhood can differ from the station.
What are the Buffalo snowfall totals by year?
At Buffalo Niagara International Airport: 2023-24 71.3 in, 2024-25 77.6 in and 2025-26 92.5 in. The ten winters from 2016-17 to 2025-26 averaged 92.6 in, from 69.2 in (2019-20) to 133.6 in (2022-23). For other years, use NWS NOWData or NOAA Climate Data Online.
What was the biggest snowstorm in Buffalo in the last ten years?
At Buffalo Niagara, the largest three-day totals from 2016-17 to 2025-26 were Dec. 23-25, 2022 (43.0 in), Nov. 17-19, 2022 (36.6 in), Dec. 24-26, 2020 (23.9 in). This page covers those ten winters only. For earlier decades, use the National Weather Service Buffalo office.
What is the normal annual snowfall in Buffalo?
The NOAA 1991-2020 normal at Buffalo Niagara International Airport is 95.4 in a season. The last ten winters averaged 92.6 in.
Why does Buffalo get so much snow?
Most of it is lake-effect snow from Lake Erie. The National Weather Service in Buffalo says over half of the annual snowfall comes from that process and that it is very localized, with areas south of Buffalo getting much more than places to the north. The lake snow machine virtually shuts down after Lake Erie freezes in mid to late January.
Does the Buffalo Niagara total apply to my address in the Buffalo area?
Not exactly. It is one measurement at one site. Snow can differ by several inches across a metro area in the same storm, depending on terrain, distance from water and where bands set up. For a specific property, a report for the street address calculates the total for that spot.
How do I find out how much snow fell at my address in Buffalo?
Request a Free Snow Report at freesnowreport.com/request. Enter the street address and the storm dates, and the total for that spot arrives by email as two PDFs. Each verified email gets three free reports, then a report is $39 or a ZIP pass covers many.
Where do these Buffalo snowfall numbers come from?
They are official National Weather Service observations at Buffalo Niagara International Airport, read from the NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS database and checked against a second official source, the National Weather Service daily climate reports or the NOAA NCEI daily archive. Normals are the NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
Sources
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers: ACIS station data (official National Weather Service records)
- National Weather Service: daily climate data (used to check season totals)
- NOAA NCEI: daily summaries archive (second check on season totals)
- NOAA NCEI: U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020
- National Weather Service: NOWData climate data
- National Weather Service Buffalo office
- National Weather Service Buffalo: Buffalo climate narrative
- National Weather Service Binghamton: Winter Weather Awareness Week for New York
- NOAA NCEI: Climate Data Online