Buffalo, New York (AP) In certain areas of New York state, Black Friday was giving way to a white weekend as cities around Lakes Erie and Ontario faced the prospect of being buried by the season’s first significant snowfall during a busy holiday shopping and travel weekend.
Forecasters warned that 4 to 6 feet (1.2 to 1.8 meters) of blowing and drifting snow could fall in Watertown and other locations east of Lake Ontario until Monday as flakes started to fly Friday.
Following an exceptionally mild fall, lake-effect bands that are known for hammering the area with snowfall rates of 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) per hour could dump up to 2 to 3 feet (0.6 to 0.9 meters) of snow near Lake Erie and south of Buffalo. When cold, dry air above combines with warm, humid air rising from a body of water, lake-effect snow occurs.
It’s 50 degrees (10 degrees Celsius) in the lake. Erie County Public Works Commissioner William Geary stated that the reason for these intense lake-effect occurrences is that we are around six degrees warmer than we should be at this time of year. We’re likely to see more in the following two weeks leading up to December.
In order to enable state agencies to mobilize resources, Governor Kathy Hochul declared a disaster emergency for the targeted counties. Interstate 90 was closed Friday due to rapidly worsening conditions, and starting Friday afternoon, tandem and commercial vehicles were prohibited from using Interstate 86 in western New York and a large portion of state Route 219.
FILE – A stadium worker clears snow from seats before an NFL wild-card playoff football game between the Buffalo Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes, File)
Image courtesy of Jeffrey T. Barnes/Associated Press
Gregory Butcher, the deputy director for homeland security and readiness for Erie County, stated during an afternoon briefing that a significant number of cars are currently pulling off the 219. ATVs and snowmobiles are being stationed throughout the county to assist first responders if needed, he said.
Before Sunday night’s game against the San Francisco 49ers, the Buffalo Bills asked for volunteers to help shovel snow at Highmark Stadium, where more than two feet (0.6 meters) of snow might fall. The NFL postponed the Bills’ home game against Pittsburgh in the wild-card playoffs from Sunday to Monday last year due to a significant lake-effect storm.
Without a doubt, it will be slow going, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz stated, adding that the heaviest snowfall should end by kickoff.
Meanwhile, the team was getting ready to play under any circumstances.
On Friday, coach Sean McDermott stated, “We’re trying to stay on top of it.”
With the weather coming off the lake and everything, you guys know that things change around here very quickly. So we try our best,” he continued.
With a victory on Sunday, the Bills would win the AFC East for the seventh time in a row. They are now 9-2, their best start since 1992.
Parts of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula were also blanketed by lake-effect snow, which is predicted to last into the weekend.
By Friday afternoon, the region was completely covered in snow, with some areas already having more than a foot (0.3 meters) of snow.
“We have this cold air mass over the U.P. and this westerly, northwesterly flow regime,” Chapman stated. Thus, the conditions for this extended lake-effect snowfall event are quite favorable.
The National Weather Service in Gaylord predicted that heavy lake-effect snow would persist over the weekend in areas of northern Michigan. Lily Chapman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, warned that up to 3 feet (0.9 meters) of snow might fall in some parts of the Upper Peninsula on Sunday night and Monday.
Visibility has been affected by gusty gusts, particularly in the area of the Great Lakes, and Chapman advised drivers to exercise caution.
Despite the poor road visibility, Joe DeLizio, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gaylord, reported that he had not yet been notified of any significant collisions.
Although I haven’t heard many complaints, DeLizio stated that travel is undoubtedly challenging.
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Contributions were made by Joey Cappelletti from Sawyer, Michigan; Isabella Volmert from Lansing, Michigan; and John Wawrow from Orchard Park, New York, for AP Sports.
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