• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Geography / Why Do Buffalo and Other Cities In Upstate New York Always Seem To Get So Much Snow?

Why Do Buffalo and Other Cities In Upstate New York Always Seem To Get So Much Snow?

March 6, 2020 by Karen Hill

Buffalo, Syracuse, and Rochester do receive much more snow than most U.S. cities, only Juneau, Alaska, and Sault Ste.

Marie, Michigan, have averaged more snow than Buffalo over the past half century.

The reason is upstate New York’s proximity to the Great Lakes, whose huge expanses of open water provide ample moisture for snow and rain to develop in the area.

Cold arctic air blows over the lakes, bringing precipitation to the area.

This phenomenon is referred to as lake-effect snow.

Buffalo’s annual average snowfall is about 92 inches (234 cm).

New York City, in contrast, gets about 28 inches (71 cm) of snow annually.

Related Facts

  • How Did New York Get Its Name and Why Was New York City Once Called New Amsterdam?
  • What Are Snow Fleas, Where Do Snow Fleas Come From, and What Do Snow Fleas Eat?
  • Why Is Wet Snow Better For Making Snowballs That Dry Powdery Snow and Why Is Temperature an Important Factor?
  • Who was Buffalo Bill and What was Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show about?
  • What Happened To the Buffalo of the Great Plains and How Did Hunting Affect Buffalo Herds In North America?
  • Who were the Buffalo Soldiers and Where did the Buffalo Soldiers come from?
  • Is Snow Frozen Rain and How is Snow Formed?
  • When Does It Snow In the Desert and Does It Ever Snow In Phoenix, Arizona?
  • Does Clean Snow Melt Faster Than Dirty Snow?
  • What Are the Largest Cities In the World In Population and How Many People Lived In the Biggest Cities?
  • Which Cities Will Be the Biggest In the World In Population In 2015 and How Many People Live In Cities?
  • Where Do Cities In the United States Rank In Relation To the Biggest Cities In the World?

Filed Under: Geography

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Why Are There Skyscrapers In Lower Manhattan and Midtown But Very Few Tall Buildings In Between?
Next Post: Why Was the Erie Canal In New York Such a Significant Achievement and When Was the Erie Canal Built? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2021 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy