Governor Cuomo Deploys National Guard to Western New York to Help with Snow Emergency

Photos From New York State Police

 Urges motorists to stay off the road for their own safety

State Emergency Operations Center remains open for those affected by storm

Western New York - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today deployed the National Guard to help those affected by the ongoing snowstorm and provide resources to help with the emergency situation in Western New York. This is in addition to the current assistance on roadways from the Thruway Authority, Department of Transportation, the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, and Department of Environmental Conservation, which includes plows, snowmobiles, personnel, and other storm supplies. With snow not expected to ease until at least Thursday evening, the New York State Emergency Operations Center remains open to assist anyone in need of help due to the storm.

“We are deploying the National Guard to ramp up efforts to keep Western New York residents safe and to assist storm recovery efforts in any way possible," Governor Cuomo said. "Travel bans and advisories remain in effect, and I urge drivers to stay off the roads so that our state agencies and the National Guard can assist those that need help."

Deployment of National Guard

The New York National Guard will mobilize 150 soldiers and airmen, 7 Bobcats, 10 dump trucks, and 5 Humvees. Soldiers will come from the 152nd Engineer company in Buffalo and the 827th Engineer Company in Horseheads. Airmen from the 107th Airlift Wing at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station will also respond.

Travel Bans

Travel bans are in effect in Lancaster, West Seneca, South Buffalo, Cheektowaga and Hamburg. During a

Blizzard Warning & Lake Effect Snow Warning For Western New York

NORTHERN ERIE-GENESEE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BUFFALO...BATAVIA

...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM EST WEDNESDAY...
...WIND CHILL WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST TUESDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BUFFALO HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM EST WEDNESDAY.

* LOCATIONS...NORTHERN ERIE AND GENESEE COUNTIES...ESPECIALLY
  SOUTH OF BUFFALO AND BATAVIA.

* TIMING...THROUGH LATE TUESDAY NIGHT.

* HAZARDS...BLIZZARD CONDITIONS FROM LAKE EFFECT SNOW AND BLOWING
  SNOW.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...6 TO 12 INCHES TONIGHT...9 TO 17 INCHES
  TUESDAY...AND 1 TO 3 INCHES TUESDAY NIGHT...LEADING TO STORM
  TOTALS OF MORE THAN 3 FEET IN THE MOST PERSISTENT LAKE SNOWS.

* WINDS...SOUTHWEST 20 TO 30 MPH...GUSTS TO 45 MPH.

* VISIBILITIES...NEAR ZERO IN WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AT TIMES.

* WIND CHILL VALUES...AS LOW AS 30 BELOW.

* IMPACTS...TRAVEL CONDITIONS WILL BECOME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO
  NEAR IMPOSSIBLE OVERNIGHT WITH SNOW COVERED ROADS AND FREQUENT
  WHITEOUT CONDITIONS DUE TO HEAVY LAKE EFFECT SNOW ALONG WITH
  CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. ROADWAYS MAY BECOME
  IMPASSABLE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. NUMEROUS ROADWAYS ARE OR WILL
  BE CLOSED THROUGH TUESDAY. DANGEROUSLY COLD WIND CHILLS WILL
  POSE A RISK FOR FROST BITE AND HYPOTHERMIA FOR ANYONE OUTSIDE
  FOR EVEN VERY SHORT PERIODS OF TIME. THIS IS A LIFE-THREATENING
  COLD FOR THOSE NOT IN SHELTER.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WIND CHILL WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN A STRONG WIND WILL COMBINE
WITH COLD TEMPERATURES TO CREATE DANGEROUSLY COLD CONDITIONS FOR
EXPOSED SKIN. THE WIND WILL MAKE IT FEEL LIKE IT IS 25 DEGREES
BELOW ZERO OR COLDER FOR SEVERAL HOURS. THOSE PLANNING TO VENTURE
OUTDOORS SHOULD USE COMMON SENSE AND DRESS WARMLY.

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS
AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT
CONDITIONS...MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DO NOT TRAVEL. IF
YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST TRAVEL...HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU.
IF YOU GET STRANDED...STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE.

IF YOU LOSE POWER AND PLAN ON RUNNING A GENERATOR...MAKE SURE
THAT THE GENERATOR IS LOCATED OUTDOORS AND IS PROPERLY
VENTILATED. SPACE HEATERS SHOULD ALSO BE PROPERLY VENTILATED AND
USED ONLY IF THEY ARE OPERATING PROPERLY. MAKE SURE SNOW DOES NOT
BLOCK EXHAUSTS AND FRESH AIR INTAKES FOR HIGH EFFICIENCY FURNACES
AND WATER HEATERS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE SOURCE OF
WEATHER INFORMATION FOR THE LATEST UPDATES. ADDITIONAL DETAILS
CAN ALSO BE FOUND AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BUFFALO.

REPORT SNOW ACCUMULATION TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN
BUFFALO BY SENDING AN EMAIL TO BUFSTORM.REPORT@NOAA.GOV...POSTING
TO THE NWS BUFFALO FACEBOOK PAGE...OR TWEET...USING THE HASHTAG
BUFWX

JEFFERSON-LEWIS-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WATERTOWN...LOWVILLE

...LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST
WEDNESDAY...
...WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO
6 PM EST TUESDAY...

* LOCATIONS...JEFFERSON AND LEWIS COUNTIES.

* TIMING...THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.

* HAZARDS...HEAVY LAKE EFFECT SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW.

* ACCUMULATIONS...MORE THAN 2 FEET TONIGHT...MORE THAN 2 FEET
  TUESDAY...10 TO 20 INCHES TUESDAY NIGHT...AND 3 TO 5 INCHES
  WEDNESDAY LEADING TO STORM TOTALS OF 6 FEET IN THE HEART OF THE BAND.

* WINDS...WEST 20 TO 30 MPH.

* WIND CHILLS...AS COLD AS 25 BELOW ZERO AT TIMES.

* VISIBILITIES...NEAR ZERO IN WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AT TIMES.

* IMPACTS...TRAVEL CONDITIONS WILL BECOME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO
  NEAR IMPOSSIBLE WITH SNOW COVERED ROADS AND FREQUENT WHITEOUT
  CONDITIONS DUE TO HEAVY LAKE EFFECT SNOW ALONG WITH
  CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW BY TONIGHT. ROADWAYS
  WILL BECOME PARTIALLY OR FULLY IMPASSABLE FOR A PERIOD OF
  TIME. THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 81 SOUTH OF WATERTOWN.
  DANGEROUSLY COLD WIND CHILLS WILL POSE A RISK FOR FROST BITE
  AND HYPOTHERMIA FOR ANYONE OUTSIDE FOR EVEN SHORT PERIODS OF
  TIME. THIS IS A LIFE- THREATENING COLD FOR THOSE NOT IN
  SHELTER.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IN LAKE EFFECT SNOW THE WEATHER CAN VARY FROM LOCALLY HEAVY SNOW
IN NARROW BANDS TO CLEAR SKIES JUST A FEW MILES AWAY. IF YOU WILL
BE TRAVELING ACROSS THE REGION BE PREPARED FOR RAPID CHANGES IN
ROAD AND VISIBILITY CONDITIONS.

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN STRONG WIND WILL COMBINE
WITH COLD TEMPERATURES TO CREATE DANGEROUSLY COLD CONDITIONS FOR
EXPOSED SKIN. THE WIND WILL MAKE IT FEEL LIKE IT IS 15 DEGREES
BELOW ZERO OR COLDER FOR A PERIOD OF SEVERAL HOURS. IF YOU WILL
BE OUTDOORS USE COMMON SENSE AND DRESS WARMLY...MAKING SURE THAT
ALL EXPOSED SKIN IS COVERED. IF POSSIBLE...AVOID PROLONGED
EXPOSURE TO THE COLD TO PREVENT FROSTBITE AND HYPOTHERMIA.

Watertown Fulton Area New York Severe Weather Alert

Lake Effect Snow Warning shaded in Blueish Green

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST THIS
AFTERNOON...
...LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS
EVENING TO 7 PM EST WEDNESDAY...

* LOCATIONS...JEFFERSON AND LEWIS COUNTIES

* TIMING...THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY EVENING.

* ACCUMULATIONS...SNOW ACCUMULATING UP TO 2 INCHES TODAY...3 TO
  5 INCHES TONIGHT...5 TO 10 INCHES WEDNESDAY...AND AN INCH OR
  LESS WEDNESDAY EVENING. ICE ACCUMULATING LESS THAN ONE TENTH
  OF AN INCH TODAY.

* WINDS...SOUTHWEST 15 TO 25 MPH.

* VISIBILITIES...AS LOW AS A HALF MILE AT TIMES.

* IMPACTS...SLIPPERY CONDITIONS AND HAZARDOUS TRAVEL ON UNTREATED
  ROADWAYS THROUGH EARLY THIS AFTERNOON FROM A MIX OF FREEZING
  RAIN...SLEET...AND SNOW. FREQUENT WHITEOUTS IN HEAVY SNOW AND
  BLOWING SNOW WILL RESULT IN VERY DIFFICULT DRIVING CONDITIONS
  TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS NORMALLY ISSUED FOR A VARIETY OF
WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS SUCH AS LIGHT SNOW...BLOWING SNOW...
SLEET...FREEZING RAIN AND WIND CHILLS. WHILE THE WEATHER WILL BE
SIGNIFICANT...THE WORD ADVISORY IMPLIES THAT SEVERE WINTER
WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

IN LAKE EFFECT SNOW THE WEATHER CAN VARY FROM LOCALLY HEAVY SNOW
IN NARROW BANDS TO CLEAR SKIES JUST A FEW MILES AWAY. IF YOU WILL
BE TRAVELING ACROSS THE REGION BE PREPARED FOR RAPID CHANGES IN
ROAD AND VISIBILITY CONDITIONS.

IF YOU LOSE POWER AND PLAN ON RUNNING A GENERATOR...MAKE SURE
THAT THE GENERATOR IS LOCATED OUTDOORS AND IS PROPERLY
VENTILATED. SPACE HEATERS SHOULD ALSO BE PROPERLY VENTILATED AND
USED ONLY IF THEY ARE OPERATING PROPERLY. MAKE SURE SNOW DOES NOT
BLOCK EXHAUSTS AND FRESH AIR INTAKES FOR HIGH EFFICIENCY FURNACES
AND WATER HEATERS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE SOURCE OF
WEATHER INFORMATION FOR THE LATEST UPDATES. ADDITIONAL DETAILS
CAN ALSO BE FOUND AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BUFFALO.

REPORT SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATION TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
IN BUFFALO BY SENDING AN EMAIL TO BUFSTORM.REPORT@NOAA.GOV...
POSTING TO THE NWS BUFFALO FACEBOOK PAGE...OR TWEET...USING THE
HASHTAG BUFWX