Parts of the Great Lakes region remain on alert as lake-effect snow continues to create near-whiteout conditions

By: CNN

Posted: Nov 30, 2024 2:13 PM CST
Updated: Nov 30, 2024 4:20 PM CST

New York State Department of Transportation via CNN Newsource

By Ashley R. Williams, Taylor Ward and Holly Yan

(CNN) — Bone-chilling Arctic air gripped much of the eastern United States on Saturday, while lake-effect snow threatened to leave some areas “paralyzed” and disrupt post-holiday travel in parts of the Great Lakes region, forecasters said.

A frigid air mass that swept south across the northern Plains and Midwest into the South and East Coast is expected to linger into next week, bringing the coldest temperatures since last winter, according to the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center.

A wide stretch of the eastern US is forecast to experience temperatures dropping 15 to 25 degrees, from Minnesota to Texas, as chilly air moving over the record-warm Great Lakes triggers the season’s first major lake-effect snow event.

“There will be localized areas that will be paralyzed from the lake snow with some interstates also being greatly impacted,” the National Weather Service in New York said.

Winter weather alerts were in effect for nearly 16 million people on Saturday, with widespread snow totals expected between 6 and 12 inches across portions of Michigan, western New York, northwest Pennsylvania and northeast Ohio. Some areas downwind of Lakes Erie and Ontario are expecting 4 to 6 feet. Residents across the Ohio River Valley from Kansas City to Charleston, West Virginia, will receive 2 to 5 inches through Sunday morning.

The heavy snow has already prompted officials to close portions of several major highways in New York and Pennsylvania, including sections of Interstate 90.

A driver in Erie, Pennsylvania, told CNN he saw state police rescuing motorists trapped in snowdrifts.

The lake-effect snow event that began late Thursday continues to intensify, with some areas already accumulating over 3 feet of snow. The most severe conditions are still ahead, as additional snowfall and aligned winds are expected to create narrow corridors of intense snow downwind of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario through the evening and into Sunday. Residents of western New York could see snowfall reaching an astonishing 6 feet with parts of Pennsylvania and Ohio receiving over 3 feet of snow.

On Friday, Gaylord, Michigan, recorded 24.8 inches, which is an all-time daily snowfall record, eclipsing the prior mark of 17.0 inches on March 9, 1942.

High temperatures this weekend will feel more like mid-to-late January in Chicago, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Nashville and Tallahassee. Nearly 70% of the US population is expected to experience temperatures below freezing over the next few days.

Especially frigid conditions are expected Saturday morning in the northern Plains and Upper Midwest, with wind chills well below zero. This could increase the risk of hypothermia and frostbite, according to the Weather Prediction Center.

“Wind chills across much of the Dakotas and Minnesota will be below negative 15 with portions of North Dakota as cold as negative 30-40,” the center said.

Michigan, New York and other parts of the Great Lakes region remain on alert as lake-effect snow continues to create near-whiteout conditions, leading to dangerous traffic snarls in some areas since Friday.

Skiers have reason to celebrate, as western New York’s ski resorts are poised to receive their first major snowfall of the season. Holiday Valley Ski Resort, located in Ellicottville roughly 50 miles south of Buffalo, is preparing to open for the season next Thursday, as heavy snowfall is expected in the coming days, the resort announced.

Residents of Watertown, near Lake Ontario in western New York, could be digging out from up to 70 inches — nearly 6 feet — of snow by Monday, according to forecasts.

Watertown Mayor Sarah V.C. Pierce told CNN that residents should “stay home in weather like this.”

“You never know what you’re going to encounter,” Pierce said. “Things can change very rapidly.” The city has received about 6 to 8 inches of snow so far, but the snowfall is “starting to ramp back up again,” the mayor added.

Jefferson County, where Watertown is located, is one of several areas under the state of emergency Gov. Kathy Hochul issued Friday due to the threat of lake-effect snow. She declared an emergency for 11 counties in western and central New York, containing the Buffalo area and many areas near Lakes Erie and Ontario.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro issued a disaster declaration for Erie County on Saturday after significant snowfall blanketed the region, causing major highways to close and stranding motorists.

Northeastern Ohio and northwestern Pennsylvania are also bracing for significant impacts from prolonged, heavy snowfall.

“Accumulations will measure in feet in the hardest hit areas, with breezy conditions leading to drifting snow as well. Travel will be difficult to impossible,” warned the Weather Prediction Center.

In Ashtabula, Ohio, where 39 inches of snow have been recorded, 25 crews were “working around the clock” as “lake-effect snow continued to fall” Saturday morning, according to the ODOT Akron X account.

Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills are set to face the San Francisco 49ers in Orchard Park, New York, on Sunday, with game-time temperatures expected to hover around 26 degrees.

Erie County officials expect the heaviest snow to have stopped falling over Highmark Stadium by game time, they announced Friday.

“However, it is possible in the most likely scenarios, there will be 20 to 30 inches of snow that will have fallen at the football stadium by game time,” Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said at a Friday news conference.

Ahead of Sunday’s game, the Bills posted to X requesting fans to help shovel snow at the open-air stadium.

While the heavy snow may cause concerns for those traveling, the game is unlikely to be postponed, according to Poloncarz.

“The game will go on,” he said.