Updated December 02, 2024 at 11:30 AM ET
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 Wednesday, 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
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 evening, with northeastern parts of the county forecast to receive up to 20 inches of snow and parts of the rest of the county 8 to 15 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 early Sunday that state troopers were responding to "weather related crashes" and also helping stranded drivers. . In an update Sunday night, Shapiro said state troopers have responded to nearly "400 calls of service" and helped "hundreds of motorists" stuck in snow while working with the commonwealth's national guard.
Western portions of New York are also forecast to remain under lake effect snow warnings through Tuesday 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." Some travel restrictions that were in place for some highways, including a portion of I-90, for commercial vehicles, are being lifted on Monday, 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 proceeded on a snowy field in below-freezing temperatures, the halftime drone show was postponed.
Weather officials caution that parts of the state, including the Watertown area, could see more snow Tuesday to Sunday, 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.
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