MA and Tri-State Region Residents: Stay Away From Western NY

Bay State, Northwestern Connecticut and Eastern New York residents: If you are thinking of travelling out west, please reconsider or postpone any future plans as this storm means business! Western New York is expecting a mammoth amount of snow as the first bands have already dumped about a foot of the white stuff and it is far from over. New York Governor Kathy Hochul made an announcement on Thursday morning as she declared a state of emergency for all areas that will be impacted by this snowfall. Reports indicate the Buffalo area is likely to see 3 to 4 feet before it is all said and done by the weekend.

As of Thursday afternoon, The New York State Thruway is closed to commercial traffic between exits 46 (Rochester) and the Pennsylvania state line as travel will be difficult and impossible during the heart of this lake effect storm as the band will be immobile due to warm water and the wind direction playas a significant role as to why one vicinity will see minimal amounts and another measures the white stuff in feet.

These snowfall events for Buffalo are NOT uncommon in November and December as Lake Erie is still quite warm with no ice cover this time of the year as the body of water gathers more moisture when cold air moves overhead, helping to produce more intense bands of lake-effect.

Winter Storm Warnings are in place until early Sunday afternoon. There is another frequent component to this storm as AccuWeather meteorologist Jordan Root explains the affected areas will see numerous rounds of "thundersnow":

"The updraft in snow showers or snowstorms is not typically as strong as thunderstorms, but the updraft in lake-effect snow bands can be strong enough to create thunder and lightning".

The NFL is considering a possibility of moving Sunday's game between The Buffalo Bills and Cleveland to Detroit, Michigan as public safety issues are being heavily considered. The excessive snowfall could endanger fans who are travelling to Highmark Stadium as Orchard Park is in that affected "bullseye" where this suburban Buffalo community could see copious amounts of the white stuff. A final decision has yet to be determined. We'll keep you posted.

Western New York residents should be prepared as they should stock up on essentials and in case of power outages they should have a workable flashlight and a supply of batteries as portable radios will be a major tool in keeping informed within the next few days. Our Townsquare sister stations in Buffalo are standing by to bring listeners extensive coverage of this "behemoth snowstorm".

We will continue to keep Buffalonians in our thoughts and prayers, but remember they have experienced similar weather related events in the past and this latest round from Ol' Man Winter will bring new stories on the horizon. As Michael Conrad used to say on "Hill Street Blues": "Be careful out there"!!

(Some information obtained in this article courtesy of www.accuweather.com)