Buffalo, Great Lakes region, is being hit by a third lake-effect storm in two weeks

BUFFALO, NY – A significant storm system moving through the eastern third of the country will help unleash another arctic blast and between 10 and 20 inches of snowfall downwind of the Great Lakes, as Mother Nature’s version of a snow machine returns starts for the third time in two weeks.

The National Weather Service in Buffalo said heavy lake effect snowfall will result in several feet of snow accumulation east of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario by Friday morning. In strong winds, a whiteout will occur at times.

“There will be a SIGNIFICANT impact on travel and society during this period,” the agency warned.

The FOX Forecast Center said cold air from Canada is expected to move across the still-warm Great Lakes starting Wednesday through Friday, helping to increase snowfall in communities along the lakes’ east and south shores.

“On the backside of Wednesday’s flurry, we have some really cold, stormy air that will move into the Great Lakes region and that will allow for some pretty impressive bands of snow to develop,” FOX Weather meteorologist Kendall Smith said.

The combination of gusty winds and blowing snow is expected to lead to blizzard conditions, particularly on Thursday when wind speeds will peak at 25 to 45 mph.

Interstates such as 90 and 81 in New York are the main routes expected to experience heavy snowfall, which is expected to impact travel.

“If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency,” NWS meteorologists warned. “Travel will be very difficult due to the deep snow cover on the roads and very poor visibility. Areas of blowing snow will significantly reduce visibility.”

Relentless snow

Since late November, more than 70 inches of snow has fallen between Erie, Pennsylvania, and Buffalo, New York, making travel after Thanksgiving nearly impossible. Snow drifts of 4 to 8 feet even caused snow removal crews to get stuck in the winter weather.

Similar conditions prevailed north of Syracuse, New York, where residents dug out of the snowpack for weeks.

Several deaths have been attributed to the event, with health issues related to snow shoveling and vehicle accidents reported throughout the Great Lakes area.

Significant warming over the weekend and into next week will bring the snow machine to a halt and lead to rapid melting of the snow, which could lead to flooding concerns in the medium and long-term forecasts.

Forecast models show temperatures in the region will rise to 10 to 20 degrees by the weekend, which will help melt snow falling over the next few days.