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Winter in Tompkins County, New York

84 winter storms and snow events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Winter Storm, Winter Weather, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Ice Storm, Lake-Effect Snow, Sleet.

84 events · 3 deaths recorded · peak month January · county share of state 0.6%

Winter event locations in and around Tompkins County. Boundaries: US Census Bureau.

NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.

NCEI records 84 winter events in Tompkins County, New York, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 30 years.

January is the busiest month, with 23 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 42 events against 42 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.

The county holds 0.6% of the 13,456 winter events recorded in New York; its 17.7 per 100 square miles compares with 28.6 statewide.

NCEI attributes 3 deaths in the county to winter storms and snow.

Some winter weather and high wind events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county; zone-recorded events whose zone is named for the county are included and marked "Forecast zone" in the table.

Compared with New York

Measure	Tompkins County	New York	US
Winter events since 1950	84	13,456	287,339
Per 100 square miles	17.7	28.6	8.1
Per 10,000 residents	8.0	6.8	8.7
Deaths recorded	3	135	2,509
Busiest month	January	January	January

By year

195019882026

Winter events recorded in Tompkins County per year, 1950 to 2026 (2026 is partial).

Seasonality

Jan
23Feb
18Mar
18Apr
2May
2Jun
0Jul
0Aug
0Sep
0Oct
1Nov
5Dec
15

Winter events in Tompkins County by month of occurrence, all years.

Recorded events

All 84 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.

Date	Event type	Magnitude	Property damage	Crop damage	Deaths	Injuries	Geography
25 Jan 2026	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
23 Dec 2025	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
2 Dec 2025	Winter Weather	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
21 Nov 2024	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
6 Jan 2024	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
27 Feb 2023	Winter Weather	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
18 Apr 2022	Heavy Snow	—	$48K	—	—	—	Forecast zone
12 Mar 2022	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
3 Feb 2022	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
16 Jan 2022	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
1 Feb 2021	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
31 Jan 2021	Winter Weather	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
16 Dec 2020	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
6 Feb 2020	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
1 Dec 2019	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
19 Jan 2019	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
15 Nov 2018	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
13 Mar 2018	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
2 Mar 2018	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
14 Mar 2017	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
19 Nov 2016	Lake-Effect Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
1 Feb 2015	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
9 Dec 2014	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
5 Feb 2014	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
1 Jan 2014	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
8 Feb 2013	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
29 Dec 2012	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
26 Dec 2012	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
13 Jan 2012	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
6 Mar 2011	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
25 Feb 2011	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
25 Feb 2010	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
19 Dec 2008	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
11 Dec 2008	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
7 Mar 2008	Ice Storm	—	$5K	—	—	—	Forecast zone
4 Mar 2008	Ice Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
26 Feb 2008	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
13 Dec 2007	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
15 Apr 2007	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
17 Mar 2007	Lake-Effect Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
13 Feb 2007	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
15 Jan 2007	Ice Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
2 Mar 2006	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
26 Jan 2006	Lake-Effect Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
25 Oct 2005	Winter Weather	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
1 Mar 2005	Heavy Snow	—	$20K	—	—	—	Forecast zone
22 Jan 2005	Heavy Snow	—	$20K	—	—	—	Forecast zone
6 Jan 2005	Winter Weather	—	$20K	—	—	—	Forecast zone
16 Mar 2004	Heavy Snow	—	$20K	—	—	—	Forecast zone
3 Feb 2004	Heavy Snow	—	$10K	—	—	—	Forecast zone
14 Dec 2003	Heavy Snow	—	$30K	—	—	—	Forecast zone
6 Dec 2003	Heavy Snow	—	$20K	—	—	—	Forecast zone
17 Feb 2003	Heavy Snow	—	$25K	—	—	—	Forecast zone
3 Jan 2003	Heavy Snow	—	$500K	—	—	—	Forecast zone
1 Jan 2003	Ice Storm	—	$100K	—	—	—	Forecast zone
25 Dec 2002	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
1 Feb 2002	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
31 Jan 2002	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
6 Jan 2002	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
9 Mar 2001	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
4 Mar 2001	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
25 Feb 2001	Ice Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
18 Feb 2000	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
13 Feb 2000	Ice Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
30 Jan 2000	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
25 Jan 2000	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
20 Jan 2000	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
12 Jan 2000	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
21 Mar 1999	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
6 Mar 1999	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
13 Jan 1999	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
8 Jan 1999	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
2 Jan 1999	Ice Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
20 Mar 1998	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
24 Feb 1998	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
29 Dec 1997	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
10 Dec 1997	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
14 Nov 1997	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
26 Nov 1996	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
31 May 1996	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
11 May 1996	Winter Weather	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
6 Mar 1996	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	2	1	Forecast zone
3 Mar 1996	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	1	1	Forecast zone
2 Jan 1996	Heavy Snow	—	$5K	—	—	—	Forecast zone

Questions and answers

How many winter events has Tompkins County had?

84 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of winter storms and snow became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.

When was the last recorded winter event in Tompkins County?

25 Jan 2026 (Winter Storm). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.

What was the most damaging winter event recorded in Tompkins County?

The heavy snow of 3 Jan 2003, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $500K.

How does Tompkins County compare with New York for winter?

17.7 events per 100 square miles against 28.6 statewide; the county holds 84 of the state's 13,456 recorded events.

Provenance

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Winter hub and the county page.