Overview
- Upstate New York enters its typical first-snow window in early November, with Syracuse forecast around November 5–6 and other interior cities already recording or expecting accumulations.
- Seasonal guidance from NOAA points to a milder-than-average start to winter in eastern New York, with near-normal precipitation overall despite fewer early snow opportunities along the coast.
- Short-term forecasts call for potent lake-effect snow east of Lakes Erie, Ontario and Huron, with two-day totals of 18–24 inches in persistent bands and 12–18 inches in parts of northern Michigan.
- Active systems dropping south from Canada are spreading snow from New England through the Great Lakes, Midwest and Rockies, affecting cities including Buffalo, Chicago, Denver and Portland.
- New York City’s first measurable snow is most likely in mid-December, with probabilistic dates around December 9–14 for JFK, LaGuardia, Long Island, Central Park and the broader city, while longer-range outlooks such as the Old Farmer’s Almanac differ on regional patterns.