Low pressure formed off the middle Atlantic coast Christmas evening.  This storm intensified as it moved north to be off Long Island, New York Christmas night.  Light snow started moving into central New York around midnight on the 25th.  The snow was in northern Oneida County by 4 AM.  This snow remained light through the early morning accumulating little.  In many locations in the Susquehanna Region and Catskills, the snow changed to sleet and freezing rain around sunrise.  The precipitation remained light in most places until afternoon.  The exception was the Finger Lakes and Chemung Valley were mostly snow fell.  Several inches were reported in this area by noon.  During the afternoon precipitation changed back to all snow and became heavy.  A band of heavy snow lifted north through the region during the afternoon and evening.  The band lifted slowly to the northeast finally exiting after midnight in Delaware and Otsego Counties.  Snowfall rates were several inches an hour in this band.  The snow ended from west to east starting around 11 PM Christmas night.  Snowfall amounts in the Finger Lakes and Chemung Valley were 6 to 12 inches.  Along the I-81 corridor amounts were 8 to 14 inches.  Further east from northern Sullivan County through Delaware County into Otsego County snowfall totals were mostly 2 to 3 feet.  In northern Oneida County snow totals were 6 to 10 inches.  Due to the snow amounts and snowfall rates the New York State Thruway closed for part of the evening.  The heavy snow also caused power outages to 3000 customers in the Catskills.  Many counties declared state of emergencies.

Heavy Snow in SOUTHERN ONEIDA, NEW YORK
From 25-DEC-02 03:00:00 to 26-DEC-02 02:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in STEUBEN, NEW YORK
From 25-DEC-02 01:00:00 to 25-DEC-02 22:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in TIOGA, NEW YORK
From 25-DEC-02 01:00:00 to 25-DEC-02 23:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in CORTLAND, NEW YORK
From 25-DEC-02 02:00:00 to 26-DEC-02 00:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in NORTHERN ONEIDA, NEW YORK
From 25-DEC-02 04:00:00 to 26-DEC-02 02:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in SULLIVAN, NEW YORK
From 25-DEC-02 00:00:00 to 26-DEC-02 03:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in CHEMUNG, NEW YORK
From 25-DEC-02 01:00:00 to 25-DEC-02 23:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in CHENANGO, NEW YORK
From 25-DEC-02 02:00:00 to 26-DEC-02 01:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in SOUTHERN CAYUGA, NEW YORK
From 25-DEC-02 02:00:00 to 25-DEC-02 23:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in SCHUYLER, NEW YORK
From 25-DEC-02 01:00:00 to 25-DEC-02 23:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in SENECA, NEW YORK
From 25-DEC-02 02:00:00 to 25-DEC-02 23:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in DELAWARE, NEW YORK
From 25-DEC-02 01:00:00 to 26-DEC-02 04:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in YATES, NEW YORK
From 25-DEC-02 02:00:00 to 25-DEC-02 22:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in MADISON, NEW YORK
From 25-DEC-02 03:00:00 to 26-DEC-02 02:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in BROOME, NEW YORK
From 25-DEC-02 01:00:00 to 26-DEC-02 01:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in ONONDAGA, NEW YORK
From 25-DEC-02 03:00:00 to 25-DEC-02 23:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in OTSEGO, NEW YORK
From 25-DEC-02 02:00:00 to 26-DEC-02 04:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in TOMPKINS, NEW YORK
From 25-DEC-02 02:00:00 to 25-DEC-02 23:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER