Governor Cuomo Issues Update on Winter Storm Conditions in Western New York, Storm Photos Included

Crews working hard on removing snow from a highway. Courtesy: Governor of New York Twitter

Many roads, including part of Thruway, remain closed: driving prohibited

For information on road conditions, call 511

State Emergency Operations Center still monitoring situation

New York National Guard helping with snow removal.

Western New York - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today held a storm briefing in Western New York on the current winter storm conditions, where there is in some areas more than five feet of lake effect snow already on the ground, with up to two more feet expected. The State has been working around the clock to rescue motorists stuck on the Thruway and other state roads, as well as provide help to other New Yorkers affected by the storm. All occupants of passenger vehicles have been evacuated, and there are 45 commercial vehicles that have chosen to wait out the storm at Thruway service areas after being checked on by State teams. The New York State Police urge anyone needing immediate help to call 911.

The Governor declared a State of Emergency Tuesday night for affected counties so that residents can receive as much assistance as possible. With a significant amount of snow expected again today and tomorrow, the Governor has instructed the National Guard, the New York State Police, and all state agencies to prepare to help affected residents and roadways. State offices remain closed today in the counties declared States of Emergency.

“Tremendous progress has been made in clearing vital roads, with help getting here yesterday and more help

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

Lake Effect Warnings & Winter Weather Advisories For Western New York

Winter Weather Advisories: Purple
Lake Effect Warning: Green
Lake Effect Advisory: Blue

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

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO
7 PM EST MONDAY...
...LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM MONDAY TO 3 PM
EST WEDNESDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BUFFALO HAS ISSUED A LAKE EFFECT
SNOW WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM MONDAY TO 3 PM EST
WEDNESDAY. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY HAS ALSO BEEN ISSUED. THIS
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 7
PM EST MONDAY.

* LOCATIONS...EASTERN LAKE ONTARIO REGION.

* TIMING...MIDNIGHT TONIGHT THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.

* HAZARDS...A GENERAL LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW LATE TONIGHT THROUGH
  MONDAY. VERY HEAVY LAKE EFFECT SNOW MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH
  WEDNESDAY MAINLY FROM THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN TUG HILL REGION
  TO WATERTOWN AND FORT DRUM.

* ACCUMULATIONS...SNOW ACCUMULATING AN INCH OR LESS OVERNIGHT AND
  3 TO 5 INCHES MONDAY IN THE GENERAL SNOW. LOCALIZED AMOUNTS OF 2
  TO 3 FEET IN THE MOST PERSISTENT BANDS OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW
  MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

* WINDS...SOUTHWEST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH PRODUCING
  SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AND NEAR BLIZZARD
  CONDITIONS AT TIMES.

* VISIBILITIES...AS LOW AS A HALF MILE AT TIMES IN THE GENERAL

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.

WINTER WEATHER ALERT: Winter Storm Watch Issued For Western New York

Western New York - The National Weather Service out of New York has issued a Winter Storm Watch for the western part of the state.

National Weather Service as follows.

...WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING...

* LOCATIONS...WESTERN SOUTHERN TIER.

* TIMING...LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY
  EVENING.

* HAZARDS...HEAVY SNOW POSSIBLY MIXED WITH SLEET AND FREEZING
  RAIN AT TIMES.

* ACCUMULATIONS...SNOW POTENTIALLY ACCUMULATING 6 INCHES OR MORE.

* IMPACTS...TRAVEL MAY BE DIFFICULT AT TIMES WITH SNOW COVERED
  ROADS AND REDUCED VISIBILITY. SNOW COULD ALSO DISRUPT EARLY
  HOLIDAY TRAVEL TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

* FORECASTER CONFIDENCE...THERE REMAINS SOME UNCERTAINTY WITH
  RESPECT TO THE TRACK OF THE LOW AND PRECIPITATION AMOUNT AND
  TYPE. JUST A SMALL CHANGE IN THE TRACK OF THE LOW COULD
  GREATLY REDUCE EXPECTED ACCUMULATIONS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THAT HEAVY SNOW AND/OR ICE
ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE. IF YOU ARE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...
REMAIN ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.

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.