Buffalo needs a break. The nearly relentless snow dumped over 6 feet of flakes in some areas Saturday morning, and it’s not over yet.
For a city used to being hit by lake-effect snowstorms, what happened on Friday, and continued to happen on Saturday, is still pretty extraordinary. The historic snowfall prompted the New York governor to activate about 150 members of the National Guard over the weekend.
“They are doing everything from transporting dialysis patients in the city of Hamburg here to their appointments, to knocking on doors and making sure people are safe and trying to help people get through this as best they can,” she said. Governor Kathy Hochul. Saturday at a storm briefing.
As of Saturday afternoon, parts of Erie County had already received more than 70 inches of snow, while the governor’s hometown of Hamburg was slightly higher (73 inches). Forecasts indicate that the storm will continue through Sunday afternoon. Orchard Park, where the Buffalo Bills play (but won’t play Sunday), had even more (77 inches) and the storm isn’t over yet.
The National Weather Service’s latest forecast for Buffalo at 4:00 PM Saturday was for an additional 4-8 inches of snow overnight, with winds gusting less than 50 mph. Thunder is also a possibility.
Buffalo’s mayor said three heating centers were opened in the city on Saturday to allow residents to seek temporary shelter. The centers will be open until 6pm
DEAD BY THE STORM
According to Erie County Executive Marl Poloncarz, the massive and historic storm killed two people. The deaths of Erie County residents were “associated with stress-related cardiac events during shoveling/snow removal,” Poloncarz said.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in a tweet that those in Erie County should “use extreme caution when plowing snow and follow the instructions of local officials.”
The emergency affects several counties in New York, with various restrictions.
IS THERE A BAN TRAVEL TO BUFFALO?
The storm is strong enough that, even for a place used to harsh weather, things are starting to shut down.
NBC affiliate WGRZ reported that an Erie County travel ban is in effect for some cities south of Buffalo. The station also reported minor local power outages, perhaps fortunate given the size of a storm variously described as “incredible” and “crippling”.
ERIE COUNTY TRAVEL BAN
Eric County Executive Mark Poloncarz took to social media early Saturday morning to update the county’s travel ban, which he said could be changed later that day.
As of 3:00 pm Saturday, Erie County’s travel ban was still in effect in most areas south and east of Buffalo. Some locations on the northern and southern county boundaries had a travel advisory instead of a travel ban.
