ALBANY, N.Y. — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has issued a State of Emergency ahead of a winter storm forecast to impact portions of upstate New York with intense lake effect snow through Sunday.
The most significant snowfall is expected Thursday and Friday with accumulations of up to 3 feet of snow possible in the Buffalo area and up to 2 feet of snow possible in the Watertown area, with snowfall rates of 3 inches per hour, according to a news release from the governor’s office.
Hazardous travel conditions and local power outages as a result of the storm are likely due to the combination of snow, ice and wind in the forecast. Hochul urged New Yorkers to stay alert and avoid unnecessary travel in the Buffalo and Watertown areas Thursday evening through Friday.
The New York Department of Transportation is implementing a full commercial vehicle ban at the following locations beginning at 4 p.m. Thursday:
- Interstate 190 – Route 62 to I-90.
- Interstate 290 – full length.
- Interstate 990 – full length.
- Route 33 – full length.
- Route 219 – Route 39 to I-90.
- Route 400 – full length.
- Buffalo Skyway Route 5 – full length.
- I-81 – Exit 33 to Canadian border – trucks use right lane only.
Beginning at 4 p.m. Thursday, all commercial traffic will be banned on the New York State Thruway (I-90) from exit 46 (Rochester I-390) to the Pennsylvania border. All commercial traffic heading eastbound on the Thruway must exit at exit 61 (Ripley – Shortman Rd).
Commercial traffic heading westbound on the Thruway towards Pennsylvania from points east should use exit 46 (Rochester – I-390) for I-390 to I-86 West.
The Thruway Authority encourages motorists to download its mobile app which is available for free on iPhone and Android devices.
The app provides motorists direct access to real-time traffic information, live traffic cameras, and navigation assistance while on the go. Motorists can also sign up for TRANSalert e-mails which provide the latest traffic conditions along the Thruway. You can follow the Thruway Authority on Twitter: @ThruwayTraffic and @NYSThruway and on Facebook at NYS Thruway Authority.
“Parts of Western New York, the Finger Lakes, Central New York and the North Country are about to get their first snowstorm of the season, which means we need everyone in these impacted regions to be ready for dangerous travel conditions,” Hochul said. “My team and I are deploying emergency response assets ahead of the storm, remain in constant contact with local officials, and are laser focused on the forecast. New Yorkers should remain vigilant ahead of the storm and avoid any unnecessary travel during these hazardous conditions.”
Lake effect snow warning and winter storm watches are in effect through Sunday evening for several counties in the Western New York, Finger Lakes, Central New York and North Country regions. As of Wednesday, the National Weather Service forecast anticipates several feet of snow over the duration of this storm.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
