[While ferocious snowfall threatens to trap residents in parts of the Great Lakes region, millions of holiday travelers face bitter Arctic air that will soon blast half of the entire country. Temperatures will plunge 15 to 25 degrees across much of the eastern US over the next few days, from Minnesota all the way down to Texas.
A prolonged lake-effect snow event will bury some areas east of both Lakes Erie and Ontario with several feet of snow today through early next week. “There will be localized areas that will be paralyzed from the lake snow.” The lake-effect snow that pummeled areas east of the Great Lakes throughout Friday left more than 2 feet of snow in some areas along Lake Erie.
Girard, Pennsylvania, recorded 25.7 inches; Conneaut, Ohio, saw 23 inches; and Erie, Pennsylvania, received 21 inches of snow. The wind pattern responsible for the heavy snow shows no signs of changing through the weekend and some areas may end up with 4 to 6 feet of snow by Monday.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency Friday for 11 counties including Erie County, where Buffalo is located, due to the threat of lake-effect snow. The New York State Thruway Authority reported snow blanketing Interstate 90 along Lake Erie on Friday afternoon as plow crews worked to clear the roads.
The heavy snow prompted county and highway officials to close portions of several roadways Friday, including parts of I-90 in New York and Pennsylvania and I-86 in Pennsylvania. The Jefferson County, New York, sheriff’s office, near Lake Ontario, issued a “no unnecessary travel” advisory urging travelers to stay off the roads.
Meanwhile, a drive to his local grocery store for supplies, which normally takes eight minutes, took 35 minutes for Tom Laird, 47, of Erie, Pennsylvania. “It’s been insane … nobody expected this,” he said. “This kinda caught us a little off guard with how massive it’s been.” During his drive, he witnessed multiple cars stalled on the side of the road and saw state troopers pulling people out.
The combination of fierce winds and mind-numbing temperatures could be deadly in some parts of the central US. “At the peak of the Arctic outbreak, minimum wind chills should fall below zero for much of the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest,” the Weather Prediction Center said.
For many, this wintry blast will bring the coldest temperatures since mid-February. About 70% of the country will see temperatures below freezing for the next few days. Freeze watches are in effect for about 15 million people in states from Texas to South Carolina, with freezing temperatures expected Saturday morning. Travel will be extremely difficult or impossible with immense snow on roads and very poor visibility. The National Weather Service urged those in the hardest-hit areas to delay travel plans, if possible.
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