Lake-Effect Snowstorm Hits Great Lakes Region Amid Arctic Blast in Parts of US

People visit the American Dream Mall during Black Friday sales in East Rutherford City, N.J., on Nov. 29, 2024. Kena Betancur/Getty Images

A lake-effect snowstorm has brought inches of snow to parts of the Great Lakes region, as an arctic outbreak of cold air is expected to hit much of the eastern half of the United States this weekend.

The National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Prediction Center said an arctic blast of cold air moved through the northern Plains and Midwest on Friday, with wind chills plunging below minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit.

The arctic blast is forecast to bring “dangerously cold wind chills” through Saturday morning, with temperatures in the Dakotas and Minnesota expected to drop below minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit.

“Temperatures will be the coldest since mid-late February,” the NWS stated. “This poses an increased risk of hypothermia, and frostbite on exposed skin.”

It warned that lake-effect snow bands have formed east and southeast of the Great Lakes, potentially causing travel disruptions on the I-90 between Cleveland and Buffalo and the I-81 north of Syracuse.

“Travel could be very difficult to impossible with multiple feet of snow in the hardest hit locations,” the weather agency said in an update.

Prolonged lake-effect snow bands are expected to continue into the weekend across western Michigan, northeastern Ohio, northwestern Pennsylvanian, and portions of upstate New York, according to the NWS.

The NWS Cleveland reported that 3 inches to 12 inches of new snow had already accumulated as a lake effect snow event off Lake Erie continued Friday, with snowfall rates of between 1 inch to 3 inches per hour.

“Snow bands will continue over the next 24 hours across the snowbelt with slight north and south shifts,” it stated. “Snowfall totals will be in the range of 10 to 28 inches with the highest amounts where bands persist.”

Heavy lake effect snow is expected to persist in northern and western New York through Monday, which could bring several feet of snow to parts of Watertown and south of Buffalo, according to the NWS Albany.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency on Friday for Allegany, Erie, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Genessee, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Oswego, St. Lawrence, and Wyoming counties due to the impact of lake-effect snow.

“This is a very serious storm. People have gotten a little complacent because the fall and the winter thus far have been pretty mild. But I want everyone to take this seriously,” she said in a statement.

Hochul warned that heavy snowfall could hit Western New York over the next two days, with Buffalo expected to receive 4 inches to 6 inches of snow. Chautauqua and Southern Erie could see snowfall accumulation of 3 feet to 4 feet and up to 6 feet in Watertown.

The New York State Thruway Authority said that Interstate 90 along Lake Erie had been closed due to lake-effect snow, banning all vehicles on the I-90 from Exit 59 to the PA State line until further notice.