NEW YORK – As a winter storm is expected to affect parts of upstate New York with severe lake-effect snow through Sunday, New York announced a State of Emergency for 11 counties.
Early on Friday, reports of more than a foot of snow were received by the National Weather Service, with accumulations reaching up to 22.5 inches in Hamburg, located about 12 miles from Buffalo, and as high as 19.5 inches in Buffalo.
With accumulations of up to four feet of snow likely in the Buffalo area and up to two feet or more of snow possible in the Watertown area and snowfall rates of three or more inches per hour, the most substantial snowfall is anticipated through Friday.
The storm’s predicted combination of snow and wind will probably result in hazardous driving conditions and power disruptions. Light and thunder are also possible occurrences in the more robust, denser bands.
On Thursday evening into Friday, Governor Kathy Hochul asked New Yorkers to exercise caution and refrain from unnecessary travel, particularly in the Buffalo and Watertown regions.
The Buffalo Bills’ home game on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns will now be played in Detroit, where the Bills will already play the Lions on Thanksgiving.
The counties of Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Jefferson, Lewis, Niagara, Oneida, Oswego, St. Lawrence, and Wyoming are included in the State of Emergency, as are any neighboring counties.
Governor Hochul stated, “We all must play our part to ensure everyone stays safe throughout this winter storm. That is why I have issued a State of Emergency for afflicted counties, which will free up resources and improve our preparedness. “The New York State Thruway has been shut down, Emergency Operation Centers have been activated, and my administration has been working around the clock to prepare for this possibly fatal weather event. I implore all New Yorkers to be ready and watchful during the coming days and to take care of their family members and neighbors who may be in danger.”
Through Sunday evening, numerous counties in the Western New York, Finger Lakes, Central New York, and North Country regions are under Lake Effect Snow Warnings, and Winter Storm Watches. The National Weather Service has anticipated many feet of snow for several regions throughout this storm as of Thursday.
The state’s stockpiles are ready to send out resources to municipalities to meet any storm-related needs, according to the State Office of Emergency Management’s Emergency Operations Center, which is activating on Thursday.
A total of 112 employees from other regions were sent to affected areas to assist with the lake effect snow response. These employees included 92 plow truck operators/supervisors, 11 equipment operator instructors, six mechanics, a manager of operations, 1 ICS support staff, one safety representative, and 1 ICS support staff member. The deployment also included 15 plow trucks, six medium-duty trucks with plows, and one bulldozer. Following is how they are distributed:
The following places in New York will have a complete commercial vehicle prohibition starting on Thursday at 4 p.m.:
Route 62 to I-90 via Interstate 190
Interstate 290 in its entirety
Interstate 990 in its entirety
Route 33 in its entirety
ITo90 to Route 219 – Route 39
Route 400 in its entirety
Buffalo Skyway Route 5 in its entirety
I-81, Exit 33, to the Canadian border: trucks only in the right lane
Call 511, go to www.511ny.org, or download the free 511NY mobile app to get the most recent information on traffic and travel conditions. The web system and mobile app include a state road map showing which routes are covered in snow and where conditions are typical.
With 657 operators and supervisors statewide, the Thruway Authority is manned around the clock and prepared to respond to the lake effect storm. Thruway’s New York, Syracuse, and Albany Divisions have relocated and deployed more personnel and resources to support snow and ice operations in Western New York’s potentially worst-affected regions. Operators, supervisors, mechanics, large plow trucks, and large snowblowers are among the resources that have been deployed.
For the storm’s duration, there will also be workers at the Buffalo and headquarters Thruway Emergency Operations Centers to help with snow and ice operations, traffic incident response, emergency management, and real-time traveler information.
All commercial traffic will be prohibited starting at 4 p.m. Thursday on the Niagara Thruway from I-90 to exit 22 and the New York State Thruway (I-90) from exit 46 (Rochester I-390) to the Pennsylvania border (Route 62). ALL commercial vehicles on the Thruway must depart at exit 61 if traveling eastward (Ripley – Shortman Rd).
Use exit 46 (Rochester – I-390) to get off the Thruway and onto I-390 to get onto I-86 West for commercial traffic traveling westbound on the Thruway towards Pennsylvania from places east.
