By Eileen Buckley
Buffalo, NY – The lake effect snow machine is expected to produce heavy bands of snow across ski country for the Thanksgiving holiday. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning from Thursday morning through Friday evening for Southern Erie, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Wyoming Counties.
Arctic air developing on Thursday morning will flow over the relatively warm lake waters producing lake snows east and southeast of Lake Erie. Meteorologist Steve McLaughlin says snow and strong winds are expected to creare near blizzard conditions Thursday in areas ranging from the Southtowns to northern Chautauqua and Cattaraugus Counties.
The warning areas could get one to even two feet of snow.
A winter weather advisory is in effect for the rest of Erie County as well as Niagara, Orleans and Genesee Counties where a general snowfall could accummulate one to three inches. Strong winds later Thursday, combined with snow showers, could create slippery driving conditions.