If you live in Central New York, you don’t just "deal" with winter. You survive it. Syracuse is a place where a five-inch forecast is basically a light dusting and anything under a foot doesn’t even warrant a school closing.
It’s January 18, 2026. If you look out your window right now near Clinton Square, you’re probably seeing the remnants of a winter that’s already been abnormally aggressive. Honestly, the numbers coming out of the Hancock International Airport weather station are kind of staggering this year.
As of just two days ago, Syracuse has already banked 93.2 inches of snow for the 2025-2026 season.
To put that in perspective, the "normal" average for this point in the year is usually around 58.3 inches. We are nearly 35 inches ahead of schedule. We've basically had an entire extra Rochester winter’s worth of snow dumped on us before the Big East tournament even starts.
The Current State of Snow Totals in Syracuse NY
People always ask why we stay here. Why put up with the gray skies and the salt-rusted wheel wells? It’s for the bragging rights. Right now, Syracuse is comfortably sitting at the #1 spot in the Golden Snowball competition. For those who don't follow the local obsession, the Golden Snowball is the "prestige" trophy fought over by Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, Binghamton, and Albany.
We aren't just winning; we’re embarrassing the competition.
Rochester is in a distant second with 56.8 inches. Buffalo—the city everyone thinks is the snowiest—only has 42.8 inches. It’s not even a fair fight. Syracuse has recorded nearly double the snowfall of Buffalo so far this season.
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This isn't an anomaly. It's the standard. Syracuse is consistently the snowiest major city in the United States, often beating out places in Alaska and the Rockies because of our very specific, very frustrating geography.
Why Lake Ontario Hates Your Commute
You’ve heard the term "Lake Effect" a million times. But why does it hit Syracuse so much harder than, say, Oswego or Watertown?
Basically, it's about the fetch.
When cold Arctic air screams down from Canada, it travels over the relatively warm, unfrozen waters of Lake Ontario. The air picks up moisture like a giant sponge. If the wind is coming from the west-northwest, it has a long "fetch"—a lot of time to soak up that water. By the time that air hits the shoreline and moves inland toward the city and the hills of Onondaga County, it hits a literal wall.
The geography of the Tug Hill Plateau to our north and the rolling hills to our south forces that moist air to rise. It cools, it condenses, and then it dumps.
Sometimes these bands are so narrow you can see the sun shining in North Syracuse while people in Jamesville are digging out from two feet of powder. It’s erratic. It’s localized. And it’s the reason snow totals in Syracuse NY are so hard to predict for the local meteorologists like Jim Teske or the team at CNY Central. One slight wobble in the wind direction changes everything.
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Breaking Down the All-Time Records
If you think this year is bad, you clearly weren't here in the early 90s.
The benchmark for misery—or glory, depending on your outlook—is the winter of 1992-1993. That year, the city recorded a mind-numbing 192.1 inches of snow. That is 16 feet. You couldn't see the stop signs. People were digging tunnels out of their front doors.
We also hold a record for the "most snow in 24 hours" from the 1993 "Storm of the Century," where we saw 22.1 inches fall in a single day.
Looking at the Decadal Shift
There’s a common misconception that Syracuse is getting less snow because of climate change. It’s a bit more nuanced than that. While our winters are getting shorter and we see more "thaw" cycles in January where it hits 50 degrees and rains, the actual lake-effect events are becoming more intense.
Why? Because Lake Ontario isn't freezing over as often.
An open lake is a fuel source. In the "old days," the lake might freeze by February, cutting off the moisture supply. Now, the lake stays open longer, meaning we get hammered with massive lake-effect dumps well into March. We might have fewer "snow days" overall, but when it snows, it tries to make up for lost time.
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How the City Manages the Madness
Honestly, the Syracuse Department of Public Works (DPW) is probably the most battle-hardened group of plow drivers in the world. You’ve seen them—the giant orange trucks with the wing plows that clear the entire lane and the shoulder in one pass.
They have to manage over 400 miles of city streets.
If you’re new to the area, you need to learn the "Even/Odd" parking rules immediately. If you don't, you’re not just getting a ticket; you’re getting your car encased in a 4-foot wall of ice-hardened slush created by the plow. The city uses a "Snow Tracker" map that lets you see where the plows are in real-time. It’s a lifesaver when you’re trying to figure out if you can actually make it to Wegmans.
Survival Tactics for the 100-Inch Club
If you're tracking snow totals in Syracuse NY because you're planning a move here or just trying to survive your first semester at SU, here is the reality:
- Invest in a "Syracuse Brush": Don't buy those tiny 12-inch scrapers. You need the heavy-duty telescoping brush with the foam head. You will be clearing 8 inches off your roof every morning for three months.
- The "Salt Life": It’s not a beach sticker here. It’s a way of life. Wash the undercarriage of your car every time there's a break in the weather. The brine they use on I-81 is basically acid for your frame.
- Boot Strategy: Sorel or Bean Boots. Don't try to be fashionable in February. You need waterproof, insulated gear that can handle the "Syracuse Slush"—that gray, salty, ankle-deep soup that forms at every crosswalk.
- Mental Health: The "Syracuse Gray" is real. We go weeks without seeing the sun. Get a SAD lamp and take your Vitamin D.
What to Expect for the Rest of 2026
The Farmers’ Almanac predicted a rough ride for CNY this year, and so far, they’re looking like geniuses. With 93 inches on the ground and the coldest weeks of winter usually falling between late January and mid-February, we are on pace to potentially cross the 150-inch mark.
Will we break the 192-inch record? Probably not, unless we get a massive Nor'easter to sync up with a Lake Ontario band. But we are definitely going to maintain our title as the snow king of the US.
Whether you love the skiing at Labrador Mountain or you’re just counting the days until the Syracuse Mets home opener, the snow is part of our DNA. It’s messy, it’s expensive to plow, and it makes driving a nightmare, but there’s something kind of cozy about being hunkered down in a city that knows exactly how to handle a blizzard.
Actionable Next Steps for Syracuse Residents:
- Check the Syracuse Snow Tracker website before your morning commute to see which secondary roads have been cleared.
- Ensure your "emergency car kit" includes a collapsible shovel and a bag of sand or kitty litter for traction; the lake-effect bands can trap you in a parking lot in minutes.
- If you're a homeowner, clear your hydrants and sidewalk corners—not just for the law, but for the safety of the neighborhood.
- Keep an eye on the Golden Snowball standings at goldensnowball.com to keep the civic pride (or misery) alive as we head into the "Long February."