Several counties in western New York and northwestern New York could see upwards of 2 feet of snow this weekend as lake effect snow hits the region beginning overnight on Thursday.
The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Buffalo, New York, issued a lake effect snow warning that will go into effect at 7 a.m. local time on Friday and last through Monday evening. The hardest hit areas are expecting 2 to 3 feet of snow this weekend.
Widespread amounts of around 4 inches is expected across much of New York, but the counties expecting the highest snowfall include Eria, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Oswego, Jefferson and Lewis, according to NWS data.
"There is high confidence in a significant lake effect snow event for the areas in red Fri - Mon," NWS Buffalo posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday night. "MUCH less snow in the areas in blue, with uncertainty in the Buffalo metro area. Keep in mind the end of this event is 5 days out, so there's uncertainty in snow amounts."
In the most recently updated lake effect snow warning, meteorologists warned that snowfall rates will be strong enough to interrupt travel.
"Travel will be very difficult to impossible. The hazardous conditions will impact the Friday morning and evening commutes," the warning said.
The winter storm comes as people are heading home after visiting their families for the holidays, and it could impact post-Thanksgiving travel. Transportation officials in Ohio and Pennsylvania have urged motorists to delay travel until after the storm, if possible.
"During lake effect snow, the weather can vary from bands of locally heavy snow with greatly reduced visibilities to dry conditions just a few miles away. Be prepared for rapid changes in weather, visibility, and road conditions," the lake effect snow warning said. "Consider delaying travel. If you must travel, drive with extreme caution. Leave plenty of room between you and the motorist ahead of you, and allow extra time to reach your destination. Avoid sudden braking or acceleration, and be especially cautious on hills or when making turns."
Once snowfall rates exceed 2 inches per hour, snowplows have a difficult time clearing roads, NWS meteorologist David Thomas previously told Newsweek. This could cause major roads in parts of New York to be buried under snow, including interstates.
Despite the heavy snow amounts, NWS Buffalo said the lake effect snow storm, which is the area's first of the season, is later than average.
"From a climate perspective, the date of our first lake effect snow event of the season (of at least 7" east of either Lake Erie or Ontario) is November 17th," the office posted on X. "This upcoming event will be 12 days later than average."
Nearby, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has issued Tier 1 travel restrictions ahead of the storm, restricting certain vehicles from traveling on various interstates in the storm's path.
"The safety of the traveling public remains our top priority and we encourage motorists to limit any unnecessary travel," PennDOT Safety Press Officer Saxon Daugherty told Newsweek.
Ohio transportation officials also are warning residents in the Cleveland area against unnecessary travel.
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