New York under lake snow effect warning, up to 3 inches snowfall expected
Western New York is currently under a lake snow effect warning, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Why It Matters
The snowfall will cause slippery road conditions, which will impact commuters on Wednesday evening.
What To Know
The NWS said the lake effect snow remains in effect until 4 a.m. Eastern time on Thursday. The storm affects Wyoming, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Southern Erie Counties.
The weather service forecasted that the most impacted areas would get an additional 1 to 3 inches of snow. Meanwhile, light to moderate lake effect snow will move north Wednesday evening.
AccuWeather predicts western New York gets “a little snow at times” on Thursday afternoon with residents seeing a dusting to an inch of snow. There will be a high of 24 degrees and a low of 19 degrees on Thursday. It will slightly warm up on Friday with a high of 33 and a low of 24 degrees. But there will still be “a bit of morning snow with little or no accumulation,” according to AccuWeather.
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New York City Forecast
Meanwhile, temperatures will dip to a low of about 24 degrees in New York City Wednesday night. There will be a 20 percent chance of snow in the city on Thursday night with a low of about 28 degrees. Friday will see a high of about 39 degrees and a low of about 33 degrees.
What People Are Saying
The National Weather Service (NWS) said in a public message Wednesday afternoon, “During lake effect snow, the weather can vary from bands of locally heavy snow with greatly reduced visibilities to dry conditions just a few miles away. Be prepared for rapid changes in weather, visibility, and road conditions.”
What Happens Next
Some ways you can prepare for a winter storm are weatherproofing your home and making sure you have a smoke detector and a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector near heat sources.
For your car, get the radiator system serviced or check the antifreeze level yourself with an antifreeze tester. You should also replace your windshield wiper fluid with a wintertime mix, and make sure your car tires have enough tread and air pressure.
Also make sure you have an emergency kit in your car with a portable charger, a flashlight with extra batteries, a first aid kit, a pocketknife, a shovel, a windshield scraper, extra clothing to keep warm and water and snack food.
A full list of emergency items is on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.
