A snow removal machine makes its way along Nettle Creek Road after over two feet of heavy lake effect snow on Dec. 1, 2024 in Derby, New York.
John Normile/Getty Images
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John Normile/Getty Images
Heavy snowfall will continue to bury portions of the Northeast and upper Midwest this week as officials warn of travel impacts and dangerous conditions.
The Great Lakes region, which has been receiving lake effect snow since late last week, is expected to see heavy snowfall continue through Monday and Tuesday, with another round possible in some places toward the end of the week, according to the National Weather Service.
States of emergency have been declared in several counties in New York and western parts of Pennsylvania, as some areas have seen 2 to 3 inches of snow accumulate per hour. And an arctic blast of cold air, which has moved across the U.S. and dipped temperatures into single digits and teens in the Northern Plains and other parts of the country, will also continue through early this week, according to the NWS.
Lake effect snow is when cold air, including from Canada, moves across warm waters of the Great Lakes causing moisture and heat to rise into the atmosphere. This leads to clouds that can produce more than 2 inches of snow an hour.
This latest round of lake effect snow will not be the last, according to Bob Oravec, lead forecaster with the NWS.
“Now that we are in winter, we’re going to get periods of north and westerly winds and there will likely be a threat of additional lake effect snow across the Great Lakes as we go into winter months,” Oravec said.
Disaster emergencies across Pennsylvania and New York
Snow is cleared from a Highmark Stadium parking lot for a Sunday Night Football game between the Buffalo Bills and the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in Orchard Park, N.Y.
Gene J. Puskar/AP
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Gene J. Puskar/AP
Northwestern portions of Pennsylvania have received significant snowfall, including the Erie County area, which has received between 24 to 30 inches of snow since Saturday.
Lake effect snow warnings will continue in Erie County in Pennsylvania through Tuesday morning, with northern parts of the county forecast to receive 12 to 24 inches of snow and southern parts 10 to 18 inches.
“Whiteout conditions are expected and will make travel treacherous and potentially life-threatening,” the NWS warned, adding that residents should prepare for “rapid changes in weather, visibility, and road conditions.”
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro declared a disaster emergency in Erie County on Saturday to provide additional resources to help those impacted by the snow. Shapiro also mobilized the National Guard to help with stranded drivers and provide additional resources for those impacted by the snow.
“Our teams at PEMA, the Pennsylvania State Police, and PennDOT have been on the ground overnight to help their fellow Pennsylvanians as the impacts of heavy lake-effect snow hit Erie County,” Shapiro said in a statement. “Stay off the roads if you can, be safe, and follow instructions from PEMA and your local authorities.”
Lt. Adam Reed of the Pennsylvania State Police communications office said that state troopers were responding to “weather related crashes” and also helping stranded drivers.
Western portions of New York are also forecast to remain under lake effect snow warnings through Monday night, causing difficult and dangerous travel conditions. In Jefferson County, an additional 12 to 18 inches of snow are expected on top of the already 3 to 4 feet of snow it has received over the past few days. Oravec said there has also been heavy lake effect snow south of Buffalo, with a little over 3 feet in Cassadaga in New York.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has declared a state of emergency for several counties, including Erie county, where the city of Buffalo is located, and is urging residents to “avoid unnecessary travel.” There are also travel restrictions in place for some highways, including a portion of I-90, for commercial vehicles, according to the state’s department of transportation.
The heavy snowfall prompted the Buffalo Bills to ask fans for help to clear snow out of Highmark Stadium ahead of the team’s game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night. While the game is slated to still take place, the halftime drone show has been postponed.
Weather officials caution that parts of the state, including the Watertown area, could see more snow Wednesday night to Thursday night, with wind gusts over 40 miles per hour.
Snow continues in Michigan and Ohio
Cities across northern parts of lower Michigan and eastern Upper Michigan, will see lake effect snow through Monday night that will create “hazardous travel conditions”, the NWS said. Some cities in the lower Michigan peninsula have already received 2 to 3 feet of snow, according to Oravec.
At least 1 to 2 inches of fluffy snow could fall per hour and some places could see up to 18 inches of snow by Monday morning.
Snow is also blanketing parts of Ohio and lake effect snow warnings will continue through Tuesday morning for cities like Cleveland and surrounding Cuyahoga County. Northeastern parts of the county are forecast to receive between 6 and 18 inches of snow that could lead to whiteout conditions and make “travel treacherous and potentially life-threatening,” according to Cleveland weather officials.