Tracking snowstorms in Erie County should be easier this winter thanks to a new tool launched Friday.
The Erie County Winter Storm Scale website features color-coded maps detailing snow impact levels countywide and locally. The website also displays snow totals by exit along the Thruway system in the area, including I-90 from the Pennsylvania border to Rochester, and I-90 from Cleveland, Ohio, to Syracuse, New York.
The tool was developed in partnership with meteorologists at SUNY Albany and the SUNY Albany Center of Excellence in Weather and Climate Analytics, and uses data provided by the National Weather Service.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said the website is designed to help residents make informed decisions and stay safe during snow events.
"This is not to replace meteorologists at local stations, but it's to give additional information directly to the public on where the storm is expected to be, the severity of the storm, as well as snow totals," he said.
The maps and charts will show snow forecasts over three day periods and is updated every hour at approximately :15 past the hour according to a county press release.
The tool also displays information concerning the percentage of the county and population demographics likely to be affected, including the number of elderly living alone. Deputy County Executive Lisa Chimera hopes that data will help community partners plan for storm impacts.
"It is so critically important that our community partners are aware of the weather, and one of the things that we do often is we will send them weather reports," Chimera said. "A tool like this is going to be so incredibly valuable, because what we know is that individuals need different resources at different times."
The tool was designed by Nick Bassill, the executive director at the State Weather Risk Communication Center and adjunct professor at the University at Albany. He said it uses the Winter Storm Severity Index from the National Weather Service to categorize storms, with modifications specific to Erie County.
"It takes into account things like population," he explained. "And if a storm hits downtown Buffalo, that's going to have a bigger effect than if the same storm hits outside of downtown Buffalo, so it factors in aspects that are unique to Erie County as well."
The website address is nyswrcc.org.
