A significant lake effect snow system is emerging

Buffalo, NY (WBEN) – After lashing the Southern Plains all day Friday, a widespread lake effect snow system will begin moving during the day Saturday and the immediate southern cities of Buffalo will be the focus for some time.

The intense lake effect band forced the closure of all westbound lanes of the New York State Thruway from Hamburg to the Pennsylvania state line.

Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a disaster emergency for affected counties, allowing state authorities to mobilize resources.

Lake effect snow warnings are now being released through Sunday for all of Erie County, including the Buffalo metropolitan area, and through Monday for the southern tier region.

WHAT TO EXPECT ON SATURDAY

The band of heavy lake effect snow extending across the western Southern Tier early Saturday will move north later this morning and reach the southern Buffalo cities later this afternoon. The band will reach its northernmost point in the late afternoon and first half of the night.

“We expect this band to slowly move north,” National Weather Service meteorologist Heather Kenyon tells WBEN. “This will move to the southern cities and last until tonight.”

The northern edge could reach as far as Lackawanna, South Buffalo and West Seneca for a while, but that’s still very close, NWS forecasters say. The band is expected to remain weaker than yesterday into the morning hours, with snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour. Model forecasts and overall configuration suggest the band will strengthen again this afternoon into the night as it moves north, with 2 to 4 inches per hour of snowfall rates possible per hour.

Additional accumulations today through tonight may reach or exceed 2 feet in the most persistent bands, with the largest amounts likely concentrated in southwest Erie County. The heaviest snow is relatively close to the lake shore. For South Buffalo and the more immediate southern/eastern suburbs, it remains extremely difficult to determine how far north the band will extend and how much snow will accumulate. North Buffalo and the Northtowns will likely still have green grass through Sunday.

WHAT TO EXPECT ON SUNDAY

With the Buffalo Bills game scheduled for Sunday night at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, forecasters are under pressure for information on conditions for that area of ​​the region.

On Sunday, the band of snow is likely to remain in the Buffalo Southtowns during the morning. Some weakening of the intensity of the snow band is expected throughout Sunday, and wind shifts could cause the band to shift again from southern Erie County into Chautauqua County. Snowfall rates are expected to ease throughout Sunday

“We are expecting 1 to 2 feet of snow in the southern cities during this time. “The snowpack will then move southward throughout the day on Sunday,” Kenyon said.

MONDAY

The winter wonderland for the region will continue through Monday, but will target the southern Tier region and not the Buffalo metropolitan area.

As northwesterly winds develop across the region Sunday evening, the lake band will push south toward Chautauqua, southern Erie and Cattaraugus. Northwest winds will continue Monday into Monday night and lake effect snow showers will continue to occur in this region.

Winter weather headlines in Chautauqua and surrounding counties may need to be extended through Monday evening.

BEYOND WNY

Lake effect snow also blanketed parts of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, which is expected to last through the weekend.

The area was covered in snow on Friday afternoon, with more than 0.3 meters of snow in some places.

“We have this westerly, northwesterly flow regime and this cool air mass over the UP,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Lily Chapman. “So it’s pretty good preparation for this long-lasting lake-effect snowfall event.”

Heavy snowfall due to lake effects was expected to continue in parts of northern Michigan through the weekend, according to the weather service’s Gaylord office. Some areas of the Upper Peninsula could see up to 3 feet (0.9 meters) of snow Sunday night into Monday, Chapman said.

Gusty winds, particularly near the Great Lakes, have reduced visibility and Chapman is urging caution on the roads.

Another weather service meteorologist, Joe DeLizio, said he was not aware of any major accidents.

“I haven’t heard much about any problems, but traveling is obviously pretty difficult,” DeLizio said.

The Lake Effect Snow Warning remains in effect from 7 a.m. this morning until 7 p.m. EST Sunday
* WHAT…Heavy snowfall with lake effect expected. In the most persistent lake snowfalls, the total snowfall is 10 to 20 inches.
* WHERE…Northern Erie County. The greatest amounts of snow in the greater Buffalo area are expected in the nearby southern suburbs and possibly South Buffalo. Little to no snow is expected in the northern suburbs.
* WHEN… From 7am this morning to 7pm EST Sunday.
* IMPACT…Travel will be very difficult in areas with heavy lake effect snow, deep snow cover on roads and extremely poor visibility.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS MEASURES…
During lake effect snow, the weather can vary from heavy snow in places with severely reduced visibility to dry conditions just a few miles away. Be prepared for rapid changes in weather, visibility and road conditions.
Consider delaying travel. If you must travel, drive with extreme caution. Leave plenty of space between you and the driver in front of you and allow extra time to reach your destination. Avoid sudden braking or acceleration and be particularly careful on slopes or when turning.

The Lake Effect Snow Warning remains in effect until 7:00 PM EST Monday
* WHAT…Extremely heavy snow with lake effect. Additional snow accumulations of 2 to 4 feet in the most stubborn lake snow.
* WHERE…Wyoming, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Southern Erie Counties. The largest total gatherings are expected in western Chautauqua and southwest Erie counties.
* WHEN…Until Monday, 7:00 p.m. EST.
* IMPACT…Whiteout conditions are expected, making travel treacherous and potentially dangerous. Travel within the heaviest part of the lake effect snow band will be very difficult to impossible.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS MEASURES…
During lake effect snow, the weather can vary from heavy snow in places with severely reduced visibility to dry conditions just a few miles away. Be prepared for rapid changes in weather, visibility and road conditions.
Delay all travel. If you must travel, drive with extreme caution.
Bring winter storm gear, including tire chains, jumper cables, a flashlight, a shovel, blankets and extra clothing. Also bring water, non-perishable food, a first aid kit, and anything else that will help you survive in the event of a stranding.