By Mark Wozniak & Eileen Buckley
Buffalo, NY – A winter storm gripped the Western New York region Sunday. It delivered blizzard-like conditions and caused treacherous driving conditions.
A winter weather advisory is in effect until 7 p.m. Monday for Northern Erie, Niagara, Genesee, Wyoming and Orleans Counties. A lake effect snow warning is also posted until 7 p.m. Monday for Southern Erie, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany Counties.
In metro Buffalo, expect windy conditions with occasional snow showers and blowing snow. Another two inches of new snow is expected. Four to eight inches could accumulate in the Southtowns and up to a foot in Chautauqu and Cattaraugus Counties. Winds are expected to gust up to 40 miles per hour.
The hazardous driving conditions forced the closing of the New York State Thruway from Rochester to Pennsylvania for about six hours. It reopened Monday morning. The storm also closed many schools across the region Monday.
In Buffalo, city officials are met early Monday morning to determine their next course of action to remove snow from city streets. Buffalo Streets commissioner Steven Stepniak tells Channel 7 that crews have been busy, despite some resident complaints that no side streets have been plowed yet. Stepniak says usual city garbage collections will be delayed by one day this week. He also says that the alternate side of the street parking regulations need to be followed so plows can get through.
Sunday's snow storm dumped a record amount of snow in Buffalo. 7.4 inches was recorded at the Buffalo airport breaking the old record for December 21st of four inches set back in 1914. Snow fall amounts varied across Erie County. East Aurora was pounded with 18 inches of new snow. More than 15 inches fell in Elma. Kenmore received a little more than 11 inches of new snow Sunday.