A winter storm warning has been issued for parts of central and western New York, as “significant lake-effect snow” could result in “major impacts to travel and society” from Wednesday through Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
The heavy lake-effect snow is expected to develop east of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario Wednesday night and continue through Friday morning, with “multiple feet of snow” possible in the region — including areas already blanketed by the massive snowstorm over Thanksgiving.
Lake-effect snow forms when cold air from Canada moves across the relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes. As the moist air rises and mixes with the colder air, clouds form and grow into narrow bands that can produce 3 or more inches of snow per hour.
While the exact timing and placement of the bands are still uncertain, the National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a lake-effect snow warning for Northern Erie and Genesee counties from 10 p.m. Wednesday to 1 p.m. Friday.
Some areas, including Buffalo and Batavia, could see up to 20 inches of snow, with winds gusting as high as 40 mph.
“Travel will be very difficult with deep snow cover on roads and very poor visibility,” officials said, adding the hazardous conditions could specifically impact the Thursday morning and evening commutes.
“If traveling, be prepared for rapidly changing road conditions and visibilities,” the NWS said.
