Lake Storm Aphid Slams Buffalo, New York With Snow

It is already the 19th anniversary of one the biggest and most memorable snowstorms in Buffalo. For many of us, it seems like just yesterday that the October Surprise Storm dropped heavy, wet snow on us.

The current water temperature in Lake Erie is 64 degrees and Lake Ontario is sitting at 61. It would not take much to create another big snow event. Thankfully, the forecast is not indicating any cold air or favorable wind that produces the lake effect snow we get.

The pictures below will take you back to 2006 when the "October Surprise" storm dropped a heavy blanket of wet snow on the region.

The storm in 2006, also known as "Lake Storm Aphid", started as a rain event and the temperatures dropped just enough to form snow.

I remember the trees snapping and the electric transformers "popping" like a shotgun blast. The skies were lit with the glow of power lines that were snapped and sparking. I tried to drive to work that morning and never made it through the streets that were filled with downed trees and power lines.

Nearly 20 years later, we seemed to have learned our lesson. It is a good idea to get ready now and put that snow brush in the car and the shovel by the front door. These storms can pop up and hover over a narrow area. "As much as 24 inches (61 cm) fell in the Buffalo area, but in the nearby greater Toronto area, there was no snowstorm at all".