October 13, 2006 - The Freak Fort Erie Snow Blast
The first snowstorm of the year dumped 30 centimetres in the Fort Erie and Port Colborne area.
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In October 2006, a historic October snowstorm blasted the Niagara region. It was impossible for anyone to forget it because it took months for a full recovery following it.
Precipitation began falling as rain on Thursday, Oct. 12, but temperatures dropped overnight and into the early-morning hours on Friday, Oct. 13, bringing a change heavy, wet snow that fell for hours.
The first snowstorm of the year dumped 30 centimetres in the Fort Erie and Port Colborne area. For Buffalo, N.Y., it saw a record amount of snow that forced officials to close down the Peace Bridge, which connects the city to Fort Erie.
Fort Erie snowstorm. Photo: Pexels
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), 8.6 inches (22 cm) of snow fell on Oct. 12, breaking the previous mark for the month -- 6 inches (15.25 cm) -- set on Oct. 31, 1917. Another 14 inches (35.5 cm) fell on Oct. 13, for a total of 22.6 inches (57.5 cm) at Buffalo Niagara International Airport.
On today's podcast, Chris Mei discusses the conditions leading to the record-breaking early-fall snowstorm, the impacts during and the immediate aftermath, including power outages that cut electricity to thousands of people.
"This Day In Weather History” is a daily podcast by The Weather Network that features unique and informative stories from host Chris Mei.
