What community gets the most snowfall in New York State?

As you may know, the Tug Hill plateau is an area known for its high annual snowfall totals.  In fact, the plateau is the snowiest area east of the Rockies, and 300 inches of snow in a winter is not uncommon there. (Rochester’s average is 95 inches.) 

The high snowfall totals are due to a unique combination of topographic features, as the plateau sits at an elevation of about 2,000 feet above warm Lake Ontario.  Warm, moist air that crosses the lake is then forced to rapidly lift when it collides with the plateau, causing the air to rapidly cool and lose its moisture.  This can lead to extreme amounts of snowfall. 

So the next time you have to shovel out your driveway around the Rochester area, realize it could be much worse.