How Much Snow Will Western New York REALLY Get?

Winter is coming to Western New York, and there have been several reports and predictions that we will have a "Milder" winter than in years past, but how much snow can we expect here in Western New York?

Winter Weather Prediction for Western New York

There has been a lot of talk about a Super El Niño and what it means for Winter here in Western New York. Most predictions have a mild winter on tap for the 716. That means warmer temperatures and less snow.

So how much snow should we expect this winter?

READ MORE: 2026-27 WINTER WEATHER PREDICTION FOR NEW YORK STATE

Historical Snow Average For Western New York

According to AccuWeather, for a normal winter, we usually have around 95.4 inches of snow. If you break that out into feet, it comes to around 31.8 feet of snow. That is why you always see those massive mounds of snow in parking lots.

That average amount is from 1991 to 2020. Last year, Buffalo had a slightly below-average amount of snow with 92.4 inches. Still very close to the historic average.

Photo Credit: Rose Porter/2026

This year, due to the Super El Niño, AccuWeather is calling for a lot less snow this winter in Western New York

How Much Snow For Western New York?

The latest update from AccuWeather has the snow total for the 2026-27 Winter season well below average for Buffalo. They are calling for between 55 and 70 inches of snow. That is almost two feet less than our historic average.

As someone who lives in Hamburg, aka the "Snowbelt," this is good news. While I don't mind shoveling or snowblowing, not having to do it every hour for three days straight will be nice!

Of course, with the warmer temperatures, that means the lakes will stay warmer, and we could see more lake-effect snow, so those totals might skyrocket if we get some nasty lake-effect storms.