Dangerous 'thunder snow' hits Buffalo area as storm grips New York region
A dangerous lake-effect snowstorm paralysed parts of western and northern New York on Friday, with nearly two feet of snow already on the ground in some places by midmorning and possibly much more on the way.
Residents in Buffalo woke to blowing, heavy snow, punctuated by occasional claps of thunder - known as "thunder snow".
The worst snowfall so far was south of the city. The National Weather Service was reporting more than two feet of snow in many places along the eastern end of Lake Erie, with bands of heavier precipitation bringing nearly 34 inches in Hamburg, New York.
The National Weather Service said up to four feet might fall in some spots on Sunday, with periods of near-zero visibility.
Schools were shuttered. Rail stations in Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Depew closed on Thursday and will stay closed on Friday. Numerous flights in and out of Buffalo Niagara International Airport were cancelled.
Even before the snow began falling, the NFL announced it would relocate the Buffalo Bills’ Sunday home game against the Cleveland Browns to Detroit. Orchard Park, where the team plays, had seen two feet fall by midmorning Friday.
Snowfall totals were expected to vary widely due to the peculiarities of lake-effect snow, which is caused by frigid air picking up copious amounts of moisture from the warmer lakes. Parts of New York farther away from the lakes were expected to get little or no snow at all.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for parts of western New York, including communities along the eastern ends of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.
Hochul’s state of emergency covers 11 counties, with commercial truck traffic banned from a stretch of Interstate 90.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz issued a driving ban, shortly after heavy snow punctuated by thunder and lightning moved into Buffalo.
The ban on non-emergency vehicles on roadways was downgraded to an advisory for the city of Buffalo on Friday, but the ban remained in effect in some other parts of the county, Poloncarz said.
The most intense snowfall was expected to last through Friday evening, with more falling on Saturday into Sunday.
The weather service also warned of accumulations of two feet or more of snow in northern New York on the eastern edge of Lake Ontario, and in parts of northern Michigan through to Sunday. Parts of Pennsylvania also were seeing accumulations of lake-effect snow.
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