BUFFALO, N.Y. — The first significant snowfall of the season is anticipated to blanket towns in New York alongside lakes Erie and Ontario, coinciding with a busy holiday travel and shopping weekend.
In Michigan, particularly in the northern regions, heavy lake-effect snow is predicted to persist throughout the weekend, according to meteorologists from the National Weather Service in Gaylord. Some locations in the Upper Peninsula could accumulate as much as 3 feet (0.9 meters) of snow from Sunday night into Monday, based on the predictions by meteorologist Lily Chapman.
As snow began to descend on Friday, forecasters in New York issued warnings of 4 to 6 feet (1.2 to 1.8 meters) of blowing and drifting snow that could impact Watertown and areas east of Lake Ontario up until Monday.
After an unseasonably warm fall, regions along Lake Erie and south of Buffalo may experience snowfall of about 2 to 3 feet (0.6 to 0.9 meters) due to notorious lake-effect bands that often unleash snow at rates of 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters) per hour. This weather phenomenon occurs when warm, moist air rising off the lake interacts with cold, dry air above it.
“The lake temperature is at 50 degrees (10 degrees Celsius), and we are around six degrees higher than normal for this time of the year; this is the reason for these heavy lake-effect snow events,” said Erie County Public Works Commissioner William Geary. “Looking ahead to the next two weeks as we approach December, we can expect more of the same.”
In response to the imminent weather conditions, New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a disaster emergency in the affected counties, enabling state agencies to deploy resources effectively. The rapidly worsening conditions on Friday resulted in closures on Interstate 90, and bans were placed on tandem and commercial vehicles traveling on Interstate 86 in western New York and much of state Route 219 beginning Friday afternoon.
“There are numerous vehicles leaving the road on Route 219 right now,” reported Gregory Butcher, the deputy director for preparedness and homeland security in Erie County, at a briefing on Friday afternoon. ATVs and snowmobiles are being readied across the county for potential assistance to first responders, he added.
The Buffalo Bills issued a call for volunteers to help clear snow at Highmark Stadium, where over 2 feet (0.6 meters) of snow is forecasted before their Sunday night game against the San Francisco 49ers. Last year, a significant lake-effect storm led to the NFL rescheduling the Bills’ wild-card playoff home game against Pittsburgh from Sunday to Monday.
“It will take some time to manage the situation, that is for sure,” Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz remarked, noting that the most intense snow is anticipated to subside just before the game’s kickoff.
Meanwhile, the Bills are preparing to compete under any conditions. “We are staying on top of it,” said Coach Sean McDermott on Friday.
With a current record of 9-2, the Bills are enjoying their best start since 1992, and a victory on Sunday would secure their fifth consecutive AFC East title.
The lake-effect snow has also enveloped parts of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in a weather system forecasted to last throughout the weekend. By Friday afternoon, some areas had already recorded over a foot (0.3 meters) of snow.
“There is a westerly, northwesterly flow combined with a cold air mass over the Upper Peninsula, creating a solid setup for extended lake-effect snowfall,” commented Chapman from the National Weather Service.
Gusty winds around the Great Lakes are affecting visibility in Michigan, prompting Chapman to advise caution for drivers. Joe DeLizio, also a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gaylord, mentioned that while visibility on the roads is limited, he had not been informed of any major accidents so far.
“Not many issues have been reported, but travel is certainly challenging,” added DeLizio.