Winter Storm

Winter Storm Argos a Record Snowstorm For Binghamton, New York, and a November Record For Syracuse, New York

At a Glance

In the days before Thanksgiving 2016, Argos brought heavy snow to the Rockies, northern Plains, Great Lakes and interior Northeast.
Argos' final chapter in the interior Northeast brought up to 54 inches of snow east of Lake Ontario.
Argos was a record-setting snowstorm for Binghamton, New York.

Winter Storm Argos smashed snowstorm records in parts of central New York during Thanksgiving week 2016, dumping up to 54 inches of snow, after blanketing parts of the upper Midwest and Rockies with snow.

(MORE: The Science Behind Naming Winter Storms | Winter Storm Central)

Argos was the heaviest snowstorm of record dating to 1905 in Binghamton, New York, where 27.6 inches was recorded at the Greater Binghamton Airport in a 72-hour period ending around midday on Nov. 22. The previous snowstorm of record, there, was a 24.4-inch three-day storm from Feb. 18-20, 1972.

For the first time in 65 years of records, there, Argos produced two consecutive days of at least 10 inches of snowfall, with 10.2 inches falling on Nov. 20, followed by another 10.5 inches on Nov. 21.

Amazingly, the previous season was the least snowy on record in Binghamton.

In Syracuse, New York, Argos was a November record-smashing storm, dumping 25.1 inches of snow at Syracuse Hancock International Airport from Nov. 20-22, topping the previous November snowstorm record of 20.1 inches, all which fell on Nov. 30, 1944. Snow was reported in Syracuse for 58 and a half consecutive hours, from around sunrise Nov. 20 until early afternoon Nov. 22.

Their 18.3-inch total on Nov. 21, alone, was their eighth snowiest calendar day on record, dating to 1940, and their snowiest calendar day since Dec. 30, 1997. It was also the second snowiest November day in the Salt City.

More than just a pure lake-effect event, wrapping in moisture from the western Atlantic Ocean, central and upstate New York were hammered by heavy snow Nov. 20-21, continuing in a some spots into Nov. 22. Snowfall rates of 1-2 inches per hour in the most persistent lake-effect snowbands.

"This system (Argos) had some similarities to the infamous Blizzard of '66, which featured a big closed low that stalled over the Gulf of St. Lawrence for almost five days," said The Weather Channel winter weather expert, Tom Niziol.

Oswego, New York, picked up an incredible 102 inches of snow during that five-day event in late January, 1966.

(MORE: The Science Behind Lake-Effect Snow)

The video above was shared to The Weather Channel Facebook page by Saniel Danford in Pulaski, New York.

(NEWS: Winter Storm Argos Impacts)

Even heavier snow totals piled in New York's infamous Tug Hill Plateau downwind of Lake Ontario.

There is a path cleared to a door of this home in Altmar, New York, clobbered by Winter Storm Argos on November 21, 2016. (Shane Muckey/Facebook) — Huge piles of snow from Winter Storm Argos surround a home in Altmar, New York, on November 21, 2016.
(Shane Muckey/Facebook)

One observer north-northwest of the town of Redfield, New York, measured a whopping 54.5 inches of snow early on the morning of Nov. 22.

(MORE: The Great Lakes' Amazing Snowfall Records)

In addition to Redfield, Binghamton and Syracuse, a dozen other locations in New York state measured at least 2 feet of snow, according to NOAA's Weather Prediction Center. Parts of Connecticut, western Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Vermont picked up over a foot of snow.

Winds gusting over 50 mph, at times, whipped this dumping of snow into huge drifts, surrounding homes and making roads impassable in some areas.

Various portions of Interstate 81, north and south of Syracuse, were shut down on Nov. 21 due to dangerous whiteout conditions.

Argos' cross-country journey, started the week before Thanksgiving in the Rockies where over a foot of snow fell. Argos then spread blizzard conditions into the northern Plains to close out the week before beginning its siege on the interior Northeast.

Oddly enough, this snow blitz in the interior Northeast immediately followed record-warm highs in the 70s the previous day.

Animation of 24-hour snow precipitation (expressed as liquid equivalent) from November 16-21, 2016, during Winter Storm Argos from the Rockies to the Midwest and Northeast.
(NOAA/NOHRSC)

Snowstorm Totals From Argos

Eastern States Recap (Nov. 19-22)

Snow from Argos began to sweep into the eastern states on November 19. Here are some of the top snow totals for each state,

Connecticut: 14.7 inches in Norfolk
Maine: 5 inches in Limington
Maryland: 3.5 inches in Mountain Lake Park
Massachusetts: 20 inches in Peru
New Hampshire: 6 inches near Pittsburg
New Jersey: 6.7 inches in Highland Lakes
New York: 54.5 inches near Redfield (also, 18 inches in Watertown and 14.8 inches in Rochester)
Ohio: 5.2 inches in Akron
Pennsylvania: 18 inches in Corry
Vermont: 26 inches in Woodford
West Virginia: 10.7 inches near Davis

Caribou, Maine, saw their first measurable snow of the season on Nov. 21, their second latest date of the season's first snow on record. Only Nov. 23, 1994, was a later such date in this far northern Maine city.

Midwest States Recap (Nov. 17-19)

Strong wind gusts were reported and snow drifts approached three feet Friday morning in Morris, Minnesota. Whiteout conditions were reported in many areas including along Interstate 29 in Richland County, North Dakota and near McCauleyville, Minnesota.

The combination of wet snow and high winds caused power outages across sections of western Minnesota on Friday.

Here are the top snow totals in the Midwest and western Great Lakes from Winter Storm Argos. Locally up to two feet of snow fell in northeast Minnesota.

Iowa: 4.0 inches near Sioux Center, Iowa
Kansas: 2 inches near Atwood
Michigan: 10 inches near Siga
Minnesota: 24.6 inches near Orr
Nebraska: 6.0 inches in Lynch and near Sutherland
North Dakota: 5.7 inches near Whitewood
South Dakota: 9.5 inches in Parker
Wisconsin: 7.6 inches in Gile

Below are a few of the top wind gusts from Argos in the Midwest.

Iowa: 59 mph near Gruver
Michigan: 79 mph in Jackson, Michigan
Minnesota: 59 mph at the Minneapolis International Airport
Nebraska: 52 mph near Glenvil and at the Hastings Municipal Airport
South Dakota: 71 mph near Summit
Wisconsin: 56 mph near Camp Douglas

Winter Storm Argos left its mark on much of the country. Satellite shows snow draped from Minnesota to Wyoming and Utah, taken November 19, 2016.
(NASA/Aqua/MODIS)

Western States Recap (Nov. 16-17)

Locally, 10 to 20 inches of snow fell in parts of Wyoming and southern Montana late last week, nearly wiping out an almost 20 inch season snow deficit in one day in Lander, Wyoming.

The first snow of the season fell in the Salt Lake City metro area early Thursday, with some enhancement by wind flow over the Great Salt Lake, slickening roads for the Thursday morning commute in some areas. At Salt Lake City International Airport, 0.3 inches of snow was measured.

Accidents and slide offs from the snow forced closures on portions of Interstate 70 in the Colorado Rockies Thursday morning. Interstate 80 in Wyoming was also closed around lunchtime Thursday between Cheyenne and Laramie.

Denver saw its first snow of the season, beginning just before noon on Thursday, picking up 1.7 inches of snow.

Here are the top snow totals alphabetically by state from Winter Storm Argos in the West.

Colorado: 12.5 inches near SkywayIdaho: 8.0 inches in West YellowstoneMontana: 16 inches near Red LodgeUtah: 9 inches near Grand County AirportWyoming: 20 inches about 18 miles west of Lander (estimated by a SNOTEL sensor)

(MORE: Winter Storm Names for 2016-17)

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Winter Storm Argos, November 2016