By Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – Winter has returned to parts of Western New York. Many school districts south and east of Buffalo were closed Monday as blustery lake-effect snowstorms made driving conditions treacherous.
The National Weather Service is continuing a winter storm warning Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, southern Erie and Wyoming counties through Tuesday evening. Forecasters say as much as two feet of new snow could fall in the warning areas.
Snowfall totals reported throughout the region include 13 inches in Sinclairville in Chautauqua County, 12 inches in South Dayton in Cattaraugus County and four inches in East Aurora.
The immediate Buffalo area will see a few scattered snow showers Monday. But strong winds gusting up to 45 miles per hour will result in bitter cold wind chills. In areas of lake effect snow, the strong winds will result in reduced visibility for drivers.