Waiting for Binghamton’s Next Blizzard

Residents of the Binghamton area are breathing a sigh of relief after the region escaped the heavy snow and fierce winds of the blizzard that paralyzed much of the northeastern United States.

The Southern Tier and central New York managed to catch a break this time but that doesn't mean the area won't be hit by more severe winter weather over the next several weeks.

Dave Nicosia, the meteorologist-in-charge at the National Weather Service office at the Greater Binghamton Airport, said "it's hard for us to get a true blizzard up here."

Nicosia told WNBF News Monday that while the Binghamton region can receive heavy snow, it isn't usually accompanied by the strong winds that are needed to result in blizzard status.

Stronger winds during a snowstorm are more likely to occur around coastal areas than in upstate New York.

Nicosia said the last time there were "true blizzard conditions" was in 1993. That storm dumped a couple of feet of snow on the Binghamton area. Gusty winds caused significant drifting, especially over higher elevations.

More recently, some spots in Broome and Tioga counties were hit with more than 40 inches of snow in December 2020. While that storm resulted in record accumulations at certain locations, it was not technically a blizzard because it wasn't accompanied by strong winds.

Heavy wet snow that fell on April 18 and 19 in 2022 caused widespread power problems in the Binghamton area. At one point, more than 50,000 NYSEG customers in Broome County were without electricity because of the storm.

Nicosia noted the biggest snowstorms in the Binghamton area seem to occur in March. That doesn't mean the region can expect a blizzard next month but it also doesn't mean it can't happen.

Stay tuned.

WNBF NEWS VIDEO: A serene scene in Recreation Park on Binghamton's West Side on February 23, 2026.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or call (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.