As severe lake effect snow rolls into 11 counties in Western New York and the North Country this weekend, the governor proclaimed a state of emergency for those counties on Saturday.
A state of emergency has been declared in the counties of Oswego, Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence, Allegany, Erie, Cattaraugaus, Chautauqua, Genessee, Herkimer, and Wyoming. In a tweet posted at 2:42 p.m. on X, formerly known as Twitter, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the state of emergency.
A news release from the governor’s office states that more than 100 members of the National Guard are staging in Western New York.
The announcements coincide with the beginning of severe lake-effect snowfall in those regions.
Wide ranges of snowfall were predicted for particular locations as of early Friday. Take a look at the National Weather Service’s predictions for today through early Monday:
- Dunkirk might gain between 29 and 47 inches.
- Jamestown may receive nine to seventeen inches.
- Pulaski might gain eight to sixteen inches.
- Lowville may receive between 11 and 21 inches.
By Monday, Watertown may receive between 49 and 64 inches of snow, which is more than five feet.
There may be three to four feet of snow in the Orchard Park region, where the Buffalo Bills will play on Sunday. Erie County, where the stadium is located, is currently in a state of emergency.
Up to five or six feet of snow might fall in the North Country, close to Watertown.
On portions of the state Thruway and Interstate 81, the snow is predicted to provide poor visibility and hazardous driving conditions.
Read Also: Storm Hits Western NY: Thruway Shut Down Due to Lake Effect Snow
Tandem trucks and empty commercial vehicles are prohibited on a number of highway segments.
The ban consists of:
- From the Pennsylvania line to Buffalo, the New York Thruway (Interstate-90) (Exit 53)
- Interstate 390 to Interstate 86 from the Pennsylvania state line
- U.S. Route 219 north to the Thruway from the Pennsylvania line
