State of emergency declared in New York as lake-effect snowstorm blasts Great Lakes
The third significant lake-effect snowstorm in three weeks is continuing to blast Great Lakes communities from Michigan to New York, with forecasters warning that blowing snow could lead to near-whiteout conditions making travel treacherous.
BUFFALO, N.Y. – A state of emergency has been declared in several New York counties as Great Lakes communities from Michigan to the Empire State get blasted by another significant lake-effect snowstorm of the season.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said that since communities are forecast to receive additional feet of snow from this latest round of winter weather, a state of emergency was declared for several counties, including Jefferson and Erie counties.
This graphic shows the forecast snow totals in the Great Lakes region through Friday, Dec. 13, 2024.
(FOX Weather)
In addition, a tandem and empty tractor-trailer ban has been implemented in both directions on the New York State Thruway (Interstate 90) from exit 53 west to the Pennsylvania state line, and for portions of NY Route 5, US 219, NY Route 400, and Interstate 86.
“Our first responders and emergency crews are on the ground ready to deal with this storm,” Hochul said in a post on X. “I urge New Yorkers to take precautions to stay safe. Monitor your local forecasts, avoid unnecessary travel and sign up for emergency alerts.”
The FOX Forecast Center expects 10-20 inches of snow to fall around Lake Erie by the end of the workweek.
The National Weather Service office in Buffalo said heavy lake-effect snow would bring multiple feet of snow east of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario through Friday morning, and strong winds could lead to near-whiteout conditions.
That, forecasters warned, would bring “major impacts to travel and society where the heaviest snow is expected.”
This graphic shows the winter weather alerts in effect for the Great Lakes region.
(FOX Weather)
The FOX Forecast Center said cold air from Canada is expected to pour over the still-warm Great Lakes, helping to enhance snowfall for communities along the eastern and southern shores of the lakes, starting on Wednesday and lasting through Friday.
“On the backside of the Wednesday wallop, we’ve got really cold, blustery air that’s going to be coming its way into the Great Lakes region, and that’s going to allow for the development of some pretty impressive snow bands,” FOX Weather Meteorologist Kendall Smith said.
The combination of gusty winds and blowing snow is expected to lead to near-blizzard conditions, especially Thursday when winds peak at 25-45 mph.
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