Snow in New York: “Visibility will drop to zero” in parts of New York state covered in lake-effect snow | Catch My Job

CNN
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Parts of New York state were engulfed in a snowstorm Thursday that could close roads and paralyze cities for days.

“This event will have the very real potential to produce crippling snowfall that could be measured in feet for the Buffalo and Watertown metro areas,” the National Weather Service in Buffalo said.

A severe snowstorm began on Wednesday and is expected to cause treacherous road conditions at least through the end of the week.

“Visibility will drop to zero at times and roads will be covered in snow, making travel dangerous and nearly impossible,” the National Weather Service said.

Wednesday night’s storm had already dumped 10 inches of snow on South Wales, about 25 miles southeast of Buffalo. The nearby town of Colden received more than 8 inches of snow, the weather service said.

And the worst is yet to come.

The heaviest snow is expected to begin Thursday evening and last until Friday, with more intense snow falling over the weekend, the weather service said.

“This is going to be a very prolonged and large lake-effect snow event east of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario,” National Weather Service meteorologist John Hitchcock told CNN.

Areas downwind of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario could be hit by thunderstorms and lightning on top of the snowfall.

Several feet of snow are also forecast for Thursday and Friday for the Buffalo and Watertown areas of New York and northwestern Pennsylvania, the National Weather Service said.

Snow could fall at a rate of 3 inches per hour in some places, with accumulations of up to 4 feet in some areas.

Parts of Indiana and northeast Ohio have already picked up more than a foot of snow, CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen said.

And more than 5 million people around the Great Lakes are under snow warnings Thursday.

Areas are buried in lake-effect snow – what happens when very cold, windy conditions form over a not-so-cold lake.

In a lake, for example, it can be around 40 degrees, while the air temperature can be well below zero.

“That temperature difference creates some instability and the water provides a source of moisture,” CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller said. “When it passes over land, it deposits water vapor as snow.”

Commercial traffic will be closed starting at 4 p.m. Thursday on about 130 miles of New York State Highway (Interstate 90) in the Rochester and Buffalo area to the Pennsylvania border, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office said.

Residents should take precautions – and take care of each other, the head of the state emergency service urged.

“Don’t underestimate this storm,” said Jackie Bray, commissioner of the New York State Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.

“We should all be checking on our neighbors, especially vulnerable neighbors, to help them prepare for the winter weather in the forecast.”

New York’s governor plans to declare a state of emergency on Thursday, she said.

“My team and I are deploying emergency resources ahead of the storm, staying in constant contact with local officials and laser-focused on the forecast,” Hochul said in a news release.

“New Yorkers should be vigilant ahead of the storm and avoid any unnecessary travel during these dangerous conditions.”