Low pressure across the Carolinas rapidly intensified to 980 hPa as it tracked across eastern Pennsylvania and New York. This brought a deepening surface low track inland of the coast and the climatologically favored baroclinic zone along the periphery of the Gulf Stream. Other than the unusual track, it was a classic Nor���easter driven by a strong closed low across the southeast interacting with a longwave trough. Forcing for ascent was supported by strong differential vorticity advection ahead of the sharp mid-level closed low, impressive upper level coupled jet structure, and strongly diffluent flow aloft. A very strong southeasterly low level jet supported a strong warm conveyor belt, which resulted in a clearly defined deformation zone developing northwest of the storm early on January 17 and lingering over much of western New York with extreme snowfall rates for several hours.
Selected snowfall totals included 22 inches in Great Valley, 14 inches in Silver Creek, 15 inches on Boston, 20.6 inches at the Buffalo airport, 22 inches in Kenmore, 22.2 inches in Wyoming, 21 inches in Rushford, 17.8 inches in Bristol Harbor, 11 inches in Hamlin, 22 inches in Medina, 19.5 inches in Niagara Falls, 11.8 inches at the Rochester airport, 17 inches in Batavia, 12 inches in Dansville, 14.5 inches in Macedon, 12.1 inches in Redfield, 16 inches in Henderson, and 12.1 inches in Highmarket.

Winter Storm in NIAGARA, NEW YORK
From 16-JAN-22 22:00:00 to 17-JAN-22 15:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Broadcast Media

Winter Storm in LIVINGSTON, NEW YORK
From 16-JAN-22 22:00:00 to 17-JAN-22 15:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Winter Storm in WAYNE, NEW YORK
From 16-JAN-22 22:00:00 to 17-JAN-22 15:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Winter Storm in NORTHERN CAYUGA, NEW YORK
From 16-JAN-22 22:00:00 to 18-JAN-22 00:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Winter Storm in GENESEE, NEW YORK
From 16-JAN-22 22:00:00 to 17-JAN-22 15:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: CoCoRaHS

Winter Storm in JEFFERSON, NEW YORK
From 17-JAN-22 00:00:00 to 18-JAN-22 00:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Storm in CATTARAUGUS, NEW YORK
From 16-JAN-22 22:00:00 to 17-JAN-22 15:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Winter Storm in CHAUTAUQUA, NEW YORK
From 16-JAN-22 22:00:00 to 17-JAN-22 15:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: CoCoRaHS

Winter Storm in SOUTHERN ERIE, NEW YORK
From 16-JAN-22 22:00:00 to 17-JAN-22 15:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Winter Storm in NORTHERN ERIE, NEW YORK
From 16-JAN-22 22:00:00 to 17-JAN-22 15:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Official NWS Observations

Winter Storm in WYOMING, NEW YORK
From 16-JAN-22 22:00:00 to 17-JAN-22 15:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Winter Storm in OSWEGO, NEW YORK
From 17-JAN-22 00:00:00 to 18-JAN-22 00:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Storm in LEWIS, NEW YORK
From 17-JAN-22 00:00:00 to 18-JAN-22 00:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Broadcast Media

Winter Storm in ALLEGANY, NEW YORK
From 16-JAN-22 22:00:00 to 17-JAN-22 15:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Winter Storm in ONTARIO, NEW YORK
From 16-JAN-22 22:00:00 to 17-JAN-22 15:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Winter Storm in MONROE, NEW YORK
From 16-JAN-22 22:00:00 to 17-JAN-22 15:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Official NWS Observations

Winter Storm in ORLEANS, NEW YORK
From 16-JAN-22 22:00:00 to 17-JAN-22 15:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer