As winter weather wreaks havoc across the United States, Western New York is preparing for the first major winter storm of the year after a relatively mild winter thus far. In Buffalo, New York where harsh winter weather is the norm, people are prepared for the worst to come following the three warnings issued by the National Weather Service.
According to weather.com, the official lake effect snow warning for Erie and Genesee counties in New York state begins at seven in the evening tonight and goes until Friday at one in the morning. A mix of forty to forty-five mile an hour winds, strongest in the evening hours, and heavy snow in narrow bands throughout the night will prove most difficult for travel.
“I heard we could get up to two feet of snow from what the weather apps were all saying,” said local Buffalo resident Paul Rogers. “Here it was all warm and sunny before Christmas, winter here does not go down without a fight, winter usually wins the fight.”
In addition to the lake effect snow warning, a gale warning already in place remains in effect until seven in the morning on Thursday from the shores of Lake Erie along Ripley all the way up to the Upper Niagara River. The same forty to forty-five mile an hour winds experienced on land are expected to produce devastating waves up to fourteen feet in height.
“Anyone sane should stay off Lake Erie,” Rogers also commented. “Just looking out there, red flags should be going off, but some people just do not have common sense and still need a warning.”
A third warning, a lakeshore flood advisory for Erie and Chautauqua counties, goes into effect at four in the afternoon today and lasts through four in the morning tomorrow. Only minor lakeshore flooding is expected, but those on low roads and lakeshore property should prepare for the threat of rising water.
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