104 at Gravel Road Live Cam
Route 104 at Gravel Road — real-time traffic and weather in the Rochester lake-effect snow belt
The 104 at Gravel Road is a prominent and strategically located highway in the Finger Lakes Rochester area of upstate New York, connecting several key destinations within the region. As a major route in the greater Rochester area, it provides convenient access to various attractions, residential neighborhoods, natural landscapes, and commercial hubs.
What You're Watching
This NYSDOT camera monitors Route 104 at the Gravel Road intersection in Monroe County, showing traffic flow and road surface conditions on the Lake Ontario State Parkway corridor. This camera is positioned within the lake-effect snow corridor — the narrow band where cold air crossing Lake Ontario deposits the heaviest snowfall. Road surface visibility and snow accumulation are among the most practically important things to monitor from this feed, particularly during November through March.
Best Times to Watch
| Time / Period | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Weekday rush hours 7–9am and 4–6pm ET | Peak commuter traffic between Rochester suburbs and the city |
| November–March | Lake-effect snow events — conditions can deteriorate from clear to whiteout within an hour |
| After overnight storms | Check whether ploughing has cleared the road before morning commute |
| Summer weekends (June–Aug) | Recreation traffic to Lake Ontario beaches and parks |
Quick Facts
- 📍 Location: Route 104 at Gravel Road, Monroe County, New York, USA
- 🕐 Timezone: ET — EST (UTC-5) in winter, EDT (UTC-4) in summer
- 🌡️ Climate: Humid continental with significant lake-effect snow; avg 2.5m (100 inches) of snow annually
- 🚗 Route function: Primary east-west connector along Lake Ontario's southern shore in Monroe County
- ⚡ Fun fact: The Gravel Road name reflects the area's 19th-century road-building history — many Monroe County roads were surfaced with gravel quarried from glacial deposits left by the last ice age
History & Context
The Route 104 corridor through Monroe County follows the ancient Lake Road, one of New York State's oldest improved roads. When the state began systematically improving its highway network in the early 19th century, the Ridge Road alignment — elevated above the Ontario Plain's wetlands — was the natural choice for the primary east-west route along the lake's south shore.
Monroe County's lake-effect snow is generated when cold Arctic air flows across the relatively warm water of Lake Ontario and picks up moisture and heat. The snow bands that form can be extremely narrow and intense, sometimes depositing 30–50 centimetres of snow within a few hours in a corridor only 20–30 kilometres wide. The Route 104 corridor near this camera falls directly in the most common lake-effect snow band track, making it one of the most snow-affected roads in the Rochester metropolitan area and one of the most watched traffic cameras in winter.
Nearby Cameras
- 104 at Basket Road Cam — Adjacent — next monitoring point on Route 104
- Rochester Downtown Cam [verify] — ~20 miles east — Monroe County urban core
