Lake-effect storm dumps several feet of snow; more expected
BUFFALO, N.Y. — A massive storm dumped several feet of snow in the areas ringing Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, causing at least three deaths, forcing an NFL game to be moved and creating gridlock as tractor-trailers detoured onto smaller roads to avoid a closure of part of I-90 in western New York.
The lake-effect storm had produced more than 6 feet of snow in some areas by Saturday morning. The Buf- falo metro area was hit par- ticularly hard, with some areas south of the city bearing the brunt. The front had begun to move northward from Buffalo by Saturday, but forecasts called for more snow as Monday approached.
According to the National Weather Service, the suburb of Orchard Park, home to the NFL’S Buffalo Bills, reported 77 inches by early Saturday. About 80 miles northeast of the city, the town of Natural Bridge, near the Fort Drum Army base, reported just under 6 feet.
The inundation forced the National Football League to move today’s game between the Bills and Cleveland Browns to Detroit.