Newsman: A dangerous lake-effect snowstorm paralyzed parts of western and northern New York on Friday, with 5 feet of snow already on the ground in some places by early afternoon. The storm was blamed for the deaths of two people stricken while clearing snow. The most intense snowfall was expected to last through Friday evening, with more falling on Saturday into Sunday.
The storm was blamed for two deaths, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said, tweeting they were “associated with cardiac events related to exertion during shoveling/snow blowing.”
“We send our deepest sympathies and remind all that this snow is very heavy and dangerous,” he said.
Residents in some parts of Buffalo awoke to blowing, heavy snow, punctuated by occasional claps of thunder, while just a few miles north, only a few inches had fallen overnight and there were patches of blue sky.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency Thursday for parts of western New York, including communities along the eastern ends of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The declaration covers 11 counties, with commercial truck traffic banned from a stretch of Interstate 90.
“I am so proud of Western New Yorkers for heeding our call to stay off the roads last night; it was treacherous,” Hochul told radio station WBEN. “And as a result, we were able to salt, we were able to clear the roads better than we would’ve if they had been filled with traffic, and we really avoided a large number of accidents.”
“Colder air will continue to pour across the region, resulting in a prolonged lake effect snow event, which will last through this weekend.” National Weather Service forecasters in Buffalo said Friday morning. “Two intense plumes of lake effect snow with snowfall rates of at least 3 inches per hour will continue northeast of the lakes through tonight.”
Buffalo has experience with dramatic lake-effect snowstorms, few worse than the one that struck in November of 2014. That epic storm dumped 7 feet (2 meters) of snow on some communities over three days, collapsing roofs and trapping motorists in more than 100 vehicles on a lakeside stretch of the New York State Thruway.
The storm’s severity varied widely due to the peculiarities of lake-effect storms, which are caused by frigid winds picking up moisture from the warmer lakes, and dumping snow in narrow bands.
The worst snowfall so far was south of the city. The National Weather Service reported 2 feet (0.61 meters) of snow in many places along the eastern end of Lake Erie, with bands of heavier precipitation bringing 36 inches (91 cm) in the Buffalo suburbs of Hamburg and Orchard Park, New York. Schools were shuttered. Amtrak stations in Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Depew closed Thursday and will stay closed Friday. Numerous flights in and out of Buffalo Niagara International Airport were canceled.
Even before the snow began falling, the NFL announced it would relocate the Buffalo Bills’ Sunday home game against the Cleveland Browns from its Orchard Park stadium to Detroit.
A day later, the Bills tweeted photos of Highmark Stadium showing the playing field and its more than 60,000 seats virtually buried in snow, and forecasters warned of an additional foot or more by Sunday.
The weather service also warned of accumulations of 2 feet (0.6 meters) or more of snow in northern New York on the eastern edge of Lake Ontario, and in parts of northern Michigan through Sunday. Parts of Pennsylvania also were seeing accumulations of lake-effect snow.
About 6 million people in five Great Lakes states – from Michigan to New York – are under snow alerts Friday.
Commercial traffic was banned on the New York State Thruway (Interstate 90) between exits 53 and 59, according to the agency that operates the highway. Other parts of major interstates – including 290 and 990 – were also shut down.
Officials in Erie County – which includes Buffalo – also declared a state of emergency and banned driving beginning Thursday night. Prohibitions on driving in the northern and southern part of the county were lifted Friday afternoon.
“The lake effect snow from (the storm) is very heavy and may cause tree branches to fall and damage vehicles, property or powerlines. Watch where you park, and be aware of your surroundings if going outside,” Erie County officials wrote online.
Residents of Williamstown in Oswego County near Lake Ontario saw 24 inches of snow as of Thursday evening, according to the weather service. In neighboring Oneida County, some spots were blanketed with 14 inches of snow in the 24 hours before Thursday evening, per the weather service.
Other areas affected by the storm include parts of the Upper Peninsula and the western Lower Peninsula of Michigan, where gusty winds and heavy snow will also cause near zero visibility and unsafe travel conditions.
