Summer “Snow” Storm For Parts Of Western New York

It's Back! Summer "Snow" is back in Western New York, and thousands of Western New Yorkers are suffering from it. Each and every year in Western New York, the ground turns white as the seeds of cottonwood trees fly across the region.

What Is Summer Snow?

Summer snow is what we call all the cottonwood seeds that are flying around Western New York. Many cottonwood trees start to send off their seeds, and these seeds are puffy white and look like snowflakes as they float around the 716.

READ MORE: HERE IS THE FIRST LOOK AT THE WINTER WEATHER FORECAST FOR 2026-27 FOR WESTERN NEW YORK. 

Check out a picture that I took in Hamburg, New York.

Photo Credit: Dave Fields/TSM 2022

When Can We Expect Snow To Start Flying?

Usually, cottonwood trees start sending off their seeds at the end of May, and they continue all the way through the end of July.

Since it has been an unseasonably cool May, we haven't seen as much "snow" yet, but that will change with the warm weather this week.

According to the USDA Forest Service's website on trees, the seeds are released for 4-6 weeks.

Eastern cottonwood is a prolific seeder and produces large seed crops annually. Seed dispersal occurs approximately 1-2 months after flowering in the northern part of its range and continues for well over a month.

So are you ready for some snow? At least it won't be like these dates. Here are the Top 5 snowiest days in New York State history.