Two lake effect snow warnings have been issued for northern and western New York this upcoming week, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Newsweek reached out to AccuWeather and New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s office via email for comment on Sunday morning.
Why It Matters
Both storms are expected to bring several inches to 2 feet of snow, which will cause poor road conditions that can impede safe travel.
Western New York Lake Effect Snowstorm
The first storm will hit the Western New York counties of Wyoming, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Southern Erie.
It will start Monday at 1 p.m. Eastern time and last until Thursday at 4 a.m. ET.
The worst-hit areas will get between 8 to 16 inches and wind gusts could be as high as 35 miles per hour, which could result in “blowing and drifting snow,” the NWS said in a warning.
It also warned about “hazardous” travel conditions that the storm will cause.
“Travel will be very difficult with very poor visibility and deep snow cover on roads. The hazardous conditions will impact the Monday evening and Tuesday morning commutes,” the NWS said. “Heavy snow will fall in relatively narrow bands. If traveling, be prepared for rapidly changing road conditions and visibilities.”
Northern New York Lake Effect Snowstorm
The next storm will start Monday at 4 p.m. ET and last until Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET
It will hit the eastern Lake Ontario region with the greatest snow accumulations expected in the Tug Hill Plateau.
The worst-hit areas will get between 1 to 2 feet and wind gusts could be as high as 35 mph, which could result in “blowing and drifting snow,” the NWS said in a warning.
The NWS, meanwhile, issued the same cautionary travel statement for this storm as the Western New York storm.
John Normile/Getty Images
What People Are Saying
AccuWeather snow expert Grady Gilman explained what happens during a lake effect snowstorm in an article on the AccuWeather website, “Lake-effect snow develops when cold air moves over a relative warm, large body of water, most typically found in the Great Lakes.”
What Happens Next
Some ways you can prepare for a winter storm are weatherproofing your home and make sure you have a smoke detector and battery-operated carbon monoxide detector near heat sources.
You should also have an emergency kit in your car with a portable charger, a flashlight with extra batteries, a first aid kit and a pocketknife, a shovel, a windshield scraper, extra clothing items to keep warm, water and snack food. A full list of emergency items is on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s website.
