By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo
As Buffalo enjoys its longest-ever wait for measurable snow, here’s a friendly reminder of what our winters usually look like.
Buffalo News archives
Most years, Lake Erie sees maximum ice coverage during early to late February, though the lake has been covered in January during the last two winters (2013-14 and 2014-15.)
2003 Lake Erie ice coverage
But during 2011-12, one of the mildest winters on record, only 13.9 percent of the lake was covered with ice. That same year, only 36.7 inches of snow fell — the third-lowest total on record.
While our mild November and December have left us carefree in the snow department, once the weather turns colder, most Buffalonians will have at least some fear of lake-effect snow unless, and until, Lake Erie freezes over.
