Snowfall history / Syracuse
Syracuse snowfall history: biggest storms and recent winters
Syracuse Hancock International Airport, the official National Weather Service station for Syracuse, recorded 143.1 in of snow in winter 2025-26, which is 15.3 inches above the NOAA 1991-2020 normal of 127.8 in. The ten winters from 2016-17 to 2025-26 ranged from 60.8 in (2023-24) to 153.6 in (2017-18). These are totals at one station, and snowfall varies across the Syracuse area.
Updated October 6, 2026. By Weather Decision Solutions. All guides
Syracuse snowfall over the last three winters at Syracuse Hancock
Each winter is counted from July 1 to June 30. The totals are National Weather Service observations at Syracuse Hancock International Airport, added up day by day.
| Winter | Snowfall at Syracuse Hancock | NOAA 1991-2020 normal | Compared with normal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | 60.8 in | 127.8 in | 67.0 in below |
| 2024-25 | 115.4 in | 127.8 in | 12.4 in below |
| 2025-26 | 143.1 in | 127.8 in | 15.3 in above |
The normal is the NOAA 1991-2020 average season snowfall for the same station. Over the ten winters from 2016-17 through 2025-26, Syracuse Hancock averaged 102.5 in a season.
The biggest Syracuse snowstorms of the last ten winters
These are the five largest storms at Syracuse Hancock 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 Syracuse Hancock |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dec. 29-31, 2025 | 28.4 in |
| 2 | Nov. 20-22, 2016 | 25.1 in |
| 3 | Mar. 14-15, 2017 | 24.4 in |
| 4 | Jan. 4-6, 2018 | 19.3 in |
| 5 | Mar. 2-3, 2018 | 17.1 in |
This is a ten-winter window, not the full record. For earlier storms, the National Weather Service Binghamton office (serves Syracuse) keeps longer histories. For the latest winter across major cities, see winter 2025-26 snowfall totals by city.
Why Syracuse snowfall varies across the metro
Syracuse sits southeast of Lake Ontario. NWS Binghamton explains that when winds shift to the northwest and west behind a storm, prominent lake-effect snow bands develop downwind of the lake, and that the direction of the wind is the most important factor in who sees the snow. The bands can produce several feet of snow within a short period.
The same office lists reports from the January 1-5, 2025 event. In Onondaga County, which includes Syracuse, reports ran from 7.2 inches at Brewerton Lock to 16.8 at Camillus, with 16.1 at North Syracuse. In Oneida County, to the east, they ran from 12.6 inches at New Hartford to 75.0 inches near Stokes Corner.
NWS Binghamton also says the Tug Hill Plateau, northeast of Syracuse, typically sees over 200 inches of snow a year, mainly from lake effect. The airport record shows how Syracuse winters go, and a neighborhood can land on either side of a band.
How to get the snow total for a specific Syracuse 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 Syracuse Hancock 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 Syracuse get last winter?
At Syracuse Hancock International Airport, the official National Weather Service station, winter 2025-26 (July 1 to June 30) brought 143.1 in of snow. That is 15.3 inches above the NOAA 1991-2020 normal of 127.8 in. Snowfall changes across the metro, so a given neighborhood can differ from the station.
What are the Syracuse snowfall totals by year?
At Syracuse Hancock International Airport: 2023-24 60.8 in, 2024-25 115.4 in and 2025-26 143.1 in. The ten winters from 2016-17 to 2025-26 averaged 102.5 in, from 60.8 in (2023-24) to 153.6 in (2017-18). For other years, use NWS NOWData or NOAA Climate Data Online.
What was the biggest snowstorm in Syracuse in the last ten years?
At Syracuse Hancock, the largest three-day totals from 2016-17 to 2025-26 were Dec. 29-31, 2025 (28.4 in), Nov. 20-22, 2016 (25.1 in), Mar. 14-15, 2017 (24.4 in). This page covers those ten winters only. For earlier decades, use the National Weather Service Binghamton office (serves Syracuse).
What is the normal annual snowfall in Syracuse?
The NOAA 1991-2020 normal at Syracuse Hancock International Airport is 127.8 in a season. The last ten winters averaged 102.5 in.
Why does Syracuse get so much snow?
Syracuse sits downwind of Lake Ontario. NWS Binghamton explains that when winds blow from the northwest and west, lake-effect bands develop downwind of the lake, and the wind direction decides who sees the snow. Totals can vary by tens of inches over short distances, as in the January 2025 event, when Oneida County reports ran from 12.6 to 75.0 inches.
Does the Syracuse Hancock total apply to my address in the Syracuse 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 Syracuse?
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 Syracuse snowfall numbers come from?
They are official National Weather Service observations at Syracuse Hancock 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 Binghamton office (serves Syracuse)
- National Weather Service Binghamton: Lake Effect Snow, January 1-5, 2025
- National Weather Service Binghamton: Winter Weather Awareness Week for New York
- NOAA NCEI: Climate Data Online