Dangerous storm blankets Buffalo area with 4 feet of snow
BUFFALO, N.Y. — With Thanksgiving less than a week away, an impatient and unpredictable late-fall snowstorm blew through western and northern New York on Friday, unleashing whipping wind and bands of snow as hundreds of thousands of residents hunkered down.
Heavy, wet snow crashed across a series of towns adjacent to Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, including Blasdell, where 4 feet was recorded. Snowfall rates of 2 to 3 inches an hour challenged even the hardiest of snow plows.
Roads and highways were closed around the region Friday afternoon, including commercial traffic on parts of the New York State Thruway, the state’s eastwest corridor.
Buffalo, New York’s second-largest city, was spared the early brunt of the snow but was still boggled by swift changes in the storm’s mood.
An early respite in the city was quickly cut short when a band of midmorning snow suddenly led to whiteout conditions downtown. Cars crawled along city streets, braking — and sometimes brakelocking — at intersections, as plows tried to keep up with the snowfall.
The Skyway, a central north-south byway, was closed, and lights were off inside the ornate City Hall building and local courthouses. In a sign of the speed of the storm, some squalls were quickly replaced by calmer conditions, with sun pushing through overcast skies. Minutes later, clouds would return, confusing anyone seeking to make travel plans.
In Orchard Park, home of the Buffalo Bills, 3 feet of snow had fallen, and fears of a “historic” storm led football officials to shift Sunday’s game to Detroit, at the
other end of Lake Erie, where the prospect of subfreezing temperatures was considered better than clearing snow off thousands of seats.
Meteorologists in Buffalo were warning that the southtowns of Buffalo could see up to 5 feet of snow before the storm disperses over the weekend.
In a midday news conference, city officials were stern in their warnings to residents, noting abandoned cars were littering some byways.
“We want no driving whatsoever,” said Mayor Byron Brown, saying that dozens of plows were trying to clear streets in south Buffalo, where a driving ban was in place.
Foreboding clouds continued to hang in the sky Friday, with more snow and winds forecast, as a slate gray wallpaper hung over Lake Erie. The same storm system was also bringing snow on the lake’s eastern coast, north of Syracuse, where places such as Tug Hill, long a standout in snowfall, was girding for significant accumulation Friday night.
Early Friday, people in Buffalo were avoiding unplowed sidewalks, walking on the road instead, as a man on a snowmobile whizzed down the middle of South Park Avenue.
And while Buffalonians are known for shrugging at big snows, taking pride in their ability to weather —
yes, weather — even the worst of storms, some were already telling tales of storm mayhem.
Forest Richardson, 29, a security guard who lives in downtown Buffalo, was on his way to work to the city’s southside when his 4-by-4 vehicle “did a 360” and became stuck in a snow bank.
It took him about 20 minutes to work his way free. He said he was going to turn around and go back home.
David Notaro, 62, a maintenance man, was plowing the sidewalk in front of the downtown cafe where he worked and counting his blessings.
“Thank God we didn’t get what they said we were going to get,” he said, referring to an earlier forecast that downtown Buffalo would receive the brunt of the snowfall.
Instead, the storm shifted to south Buffalo, where fierce winds were making visibility difficult.
Kathleen Sieg, 32, was shoveling the sidewalk in front of her home with her young son. School was canceled, and the packaging plant where she worked had also shut for the day. “I don’t know why people decided to drive in this,” Ms. Sieg said.
The Buffalo area was experiencing lake-effect snow, which occurs when colder air blows over warm lake water.
The air soaks up moisture from the lake like a sponge and creates bands of clouds, like in a thunderstorm, that release extreme snow over strips of land.
During these events, the heaviest snowfall sets up in very narrow bands, similar to how water from a fire hose is focused on one area at a time. So, if the wind shifts the band just slightly, the worst snowfall could fall on one side of town and not the other.