Erie County and “southtowns” brace for possible record storm, travel mayhem
By Andrew Harris, graphic from AccuWeather.com
Lake-effect snow will terrorize the Great Lakes region for the rest of the week and if you are planning to travel north his week, think twice.
Accuweather meteorologist Matt Benz offered this forecast:
“Buffalo and its southern suburbs may receive as much as 3 to 6 feet of snow by Sunday,” Benz said, adding that the heaviest snow may fall over two periods — Thursday night into Friday and then Saturday into Saturday night. “These two periods will likely feature the worst conditions of this event.”
What has many weather watchers worried is the comparison to the 2000 November snowstorm that paralyzed Buffalo with just over two feet of snow. November and December have historically dropped the biggest snow storms on Buffalo due to the “lake effect.” As cold winter air moves across the massive unfrozen lakes the phenomenon can create huge snowfall numbers. In 2014, a lake effect snowstorm dropped five feet of snow in isolated locations near Buffalo.
If you are traveling to this week in Western NY, please be careful and prepare for blizzard conditions.
