Lake effect snows are being measured in feet in some parts of Western and Southwestern New York, after snow pummeled parts of the region since Friday. And in some areas that lake effect snow will continue into Tuesday.
Some parts of Western NY could see 3 to 4 feet of snow in the most persistent snow bands.
National Weather Service Meteorologist Jon Hitchcock said on Sunday that area to the south and southwest of Buffalo got the heaviest amounts.
“East of Lake Erie, by the time all is said and done, by later Monday or even into Tuesday, some areas could have three to four feet total across Chautauqua County and far southern New Erie County," said Hitchcock. "So really incredible snow totals down that way, and also northeast of Lake Ontario as well, up near Watertown in Jefferson County, they might see three, four, even five feet total up that way.”
As of Monday morning, there is still a Lake Effect Snow Warning for Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties. That will continue until 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
Wayne County has a Winter Weather Advisory that runs until 1 p.m. on Tuesday with 4 to 7 inches of snow possible.
On Saturday, Gov. Kathy Hochul said the Thruway Authority has reopened I-90 to passenger traffic westbound from exit 57 in Hamburg to the Pennsylvania state line.
And early Monday morning, the Thruway Authority announced that as of 2 am Monday, the commercial vehicle ban on the Thruway (I-90) in both directions from exit 46 in Rochester to the Pennsylvania State Line will be lifted.
A State of Emergency for Allegany, Erie Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Genesee, Herkimer, Lewiston, and Jefferson Counties, and St. Lawrence Counties was declared over the weekend. The governor said that gives the state the ability to assist more with local snow plowing and removal of any debris or helping with the utility lines.
The state has also mobilized more than 3,500 personnel across the state along with hundreds of plow trucks and other equipment.
Hitchcock said the immediate Rochester area may see a couple of inches of accumulation from Sunday night into Monday morning, with more snow to the east of the city.
Gov. Hochul said the state also has more than 100 National Guard members staged in the Buffalo and Niagara County area to assist as needed, along with the State Police and various other state agencies and first responders.
There have also been several feet of snow in parts of the North Country, east of Lake Ontario including parts of the Watertown and Tug Hill region.
This story includes reporting by the Associated Press.
