Syracuse University students hustle to class as the snow begins to fall. ©2025 Daniel Zaslow
AUDIO TRANSCRIPT: Meteorologist offers insight on the upcoming winter
Daniel Zaslow: Last winter, Syracuse saw nearly 120 inches of snowfall. This year, residents are in for a treat. WSYR’s chief meteorologist, Jim Teske, says up to 20 more inches of snowfall can be expected.
Jim Teske: The forecast for this winter is going to be for between 120 and 140 inches of snow. Our average in Syracuse in any winter is 128 inches, so it’s kind of right around that average amount.
Zaslow: Last year, Syracuse saw nearly 10 feet of snow, which, yes, is considered to be below average. Thankfully for residents, there’s still time before the snow starts to pile up.
Teske: You know, I would think as we get toward the end of the month, and I think we’re probably still a couple of weeks away from something that’s going to be more meaningful, that’s going to stay on the ground for a longer period of time.
Zaslow: Teske says he expects just 10 inches of snow in November. Daniel Zaslow, NCC News.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC NEWS) – It’s that time of year again. If you stepped outside this morning, chances are a frozen surprise greeted you. Snow is falling across Central New York for the first time this season, and this winter, Mother Nature isn’t holding back.
Nov. 10 marked the first snowfall of what is expected to be an above-average winter. Last winter, Syracuse saw about 115 inches of snow, over a foot less than the yearly average of 128 inches. In fact, it’s been nearly 10 years since Syracuse experienced an “average” winter by its own standards. In the winter of 2023-24, only 61 inches fell, and in 2022-23, just 71.
This winter, meteorologists predict that Syracuse’s snowfall will not only meet the average but likely exceed it. Jim Teske, chief meteorologist at WSYR-TV, said residents can expect anywhere from 120 to 140 inches of snowfall this winter.
While Teske expects 120 to 140 inches of snow this winter, exact totals are nearly impossible to predict.
“Last year, we predicted somewhere between 85 and 115 inches of snow, and we ended right up on that upper end,” Teske said. “But the year before that, we predicted snowfall was going to be a little bit over 100 inches, and we ended up with 62.”
Syracuse residents still have time before they need to start shoveling and salting. The flurries in this week’s forecast are not expected to accumulate.
“We average about 10 inches of snow during the month of November, and snow, you know, falls and then it melts very quickly,” said Teske. “I think we’re probably still a couple of weeks away from something that’s going to be more meaningful.”
Although winter doesn’t officially begin until Dec. 21, snow is already covering Syracuse, giving residents an early taste of what could be an intense and snowy season.