2011 most viewed photo galleries on WIVB.com

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - News 4 viewers loved clicking on photo galleries this year, and it's evident from those they clicked on the most that weather is their favorite thing to look at!

In the number one spot: "First snowfall in WNY." Though it didn't happen until October 27th this year, this photo gallery was the most viewed for all of 2011. The pictures sent in by News 4 viewers capture the magic of the first snowfall in western New York.

The second most viewed gallery was "Tornado damage in WNY."  The tornadoes that tore across the southern tier on November 14th shocked WNYers, who couldn't seem to stop looking at pictures of the damage. There were two galleries, and the second one wasn't as popular, but also received plenty of views.

A sudden thunderstorm in late August  sent Erie County fairgoers running for shelter. The fairgrounds were quickly flooded by the fast-moving storm, but it abated quickly, as summer storms sometimes do, and the fair went on as usual. The photos show the power of the storm.

A waterspout on Lake Erie could be seen for miles by many western New Yorkers on August 10th.  Later, Amelia Segal wrote in the Weather Blog an explanation of how waterspouts form.

It's fair to say WNYers love nothing more than a snowfall that leaves a beautiful blanket of unblemished snow covering the landscape. On December 9th, they got just that, and News 4 viewers didn't hesitate to send us gorgeous pictures of the WNY landscape freshly coated in a layer of white.

But not all of the photos WNYers loved the most came from weather. An industrial fire on Chandler Street at Niagara Lubricant sent black smoke billowing high into the sky, and forced residents to shut their doors and windows to the toxins in the air. The photos show the magnitude of the fire that had to be put out with a special flame retardant on a hot summer day in July.

Lightning is one of natures many powerful, yet deadly, creations. In late August, viewers gazed out their windows at Mother Nature's might. Lightning danced across the sky as storms rolled into WNY, creating beautiful images.

Earlier in the year, in April, high winds were the weather story grabbing WNYers' attention.  High winds brought down trees and power poles, causing damage across the region, and once again resulting in a lot of pictures.

Though the Buffalo Bills haven't had a stellar year, they have won some key games, including the match in September against the New England Patriots. That marked the first win for the Bills against the Patriots since 2003. The photo gallery from the game garnered a lot of views as fans marveled over the win.

It stood for 90 years, but the Elks Lodge in North Tonawanda was lost to a fire in early December.  The fire moved quickly, gutting the popular meeting hall. It's no surprise that the photo gallery was clicked on many times by viewers, who were no doubt devastated at the loss of a local landmark.