Many parts of Western New York are expected to experience their first significant snowfalls of the season, and it comes at a time of the biggest travel holiday of the year.
Winter weather is on its way to Western New York as a cold front is moves in from Lake Erie starting Wednesday night. Weatherology meteorologist Michael Karow said expect it to bring some significant snowfalls to the city of Buffalo, and increased numbers in areas to the south.
“We'll start off with maybe around three to six inches of snow accumulation for downtown Buffalo proper Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Then as we head to later into the day on Thursday, that heavier lake effect snow band will transition more to the Southtowns, into southern Erie County, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus counties, where we do have some lake effect snow warnings in effect," said Karow. "We are expecting totals around a foot to maybe as much as a foot-and-a-half, but for Buffalo proper, I think we'll end up probably closer to that three to six inch range.”
High wind advisories are also in effect for much of Wednesday and Thanksgiving Day, with sustained winds in the 30 to 40 mph range, with gusts reaching the 50s, adding some difficulty to snow removal. The New York State Department of Transportation is at the ready for whatever mother nature throws its way. Public Information Officer Ryan Whalen said the DOT prepares all year for this.
“We have more than 300 operators just in the region. We have more than 200 trucks just in the region," said Whalen. "Obviously, we are in different parts of Western New York, so a lot of what we're doing right now is coordinating with the National Weather Service and watching where the storm is going to be, so that we can make sure that we have the people there and the machinery there to take care of what needs to be taken care of."
A major emphasis for the DOT is inter-agency coordination. With other state agencies, but also local and county departments as well.
"We know in Western New York, eventually it's going to [snow], and so we've been planning for this all year, right down to things like, 'Who puts the gates down if there's an emergency?,' there's a specific coordination between law enforcement, between volunteer fire departments, between the agencies in New York State," said Whalen. "We plan this stuff throughout the year so that when the storms come, we're ready."
Whalen advises drivers to schedule out extra time for your Thanksgiving travel plans, and to also be cautious of plows and first responders out on the roadways. Ensure your phone is charged, your gas tank is full and pack essential winter weather items in your car.
"Take that extra precaution and just drive safe. Everybody wants to get where they're going. This is a holiday, it's going to be busy roads," he said. "We know that there's going to be weather, so just take your time, and hopefully this will be a nice, safe holiday for everybody."
