A heavy band of snow is developing along Lake Erie, blasting areas between Cleveland and Buffalo with intense winter weather.
Lake effect snow warnings are in place in parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. Forecasters say a band of 2-4 feet of snow will develop just south of Buffalo over the next few days. While Buffalo itself is expected to get less than a foot of snow, Dunkirk, New York is expected to get up to 4 feet.
In Ohio, Cleveland itself is expected to top out at 6-8 inches of snow, but areas just 50 miles northeast of the city are projected to get over a foot of snow.
A widespread band of 2-4 feet with locally heavier amounts of snow is also expected to develop further north along New York's shore with Lake Ontario. The National Weather Service is forecasting over 5 feet of snow in Watertown, New York, which is not far from Lake Ontario.
On Friday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for 11 counties.
“As lake effect snow moves into parts of Western New York, Central New York and the North Country, we are monitoring the situation closely and mobilizing resources to respond,” Hochul said. “Alongside our partners in local government, we are taking every step necessary to protect New Yorkers and keep our communities safe.”
Disruptions to holiday travel
The snow is falling amid the busiest Thanksgiving travel weekend on record. The snow has forced officials to close Interstate 90 in Pennsylvania, cutting off road travel between Buffalo and Cleveland. The heavy snow is also causing disruptions on Interstates 79 and 86 near Lake Erie.
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Interstate 81 through New York remains open, as of Saturday morning, but travel has been slowed in the region.
Although road travel has been slowed, airports in Cleveland and Buffalo have not reported any flight cancellations associated with the snowstorm.
Snow to also impact Ohio Valley
The Great Lakes region is not the only area to get heavy snow. A band of moderate snow will sweep across the U.S., from Kansas to West Virginia. A winter weather advisory is in place for much of the Ohio Valley as a widespread area will get 1-3 inches of snow this weekend.
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Areas under the advisory include Kansas City, St. Louis, Louisville, Kentucky, an Charleston, West Virginia.
