Major snowstorm blankets parts of U.S. over Thanksgiving weekend
One of the first major snowstorms this season blanketed parts of New York, Pennsylvania and Michigan over the weekend, in the midst of hectic post-Thanksgiving travel and discount shopping sprees. Forecasters expected very cold temperatures and heavy snow to persist through the beginning of the week and potentially pose dangers to travelers in the Great Lakes, Plains and Midwest regions.
The snow storm led to an emergency declaration in parts of New York and a disaster declaration in Pennsylvania, with officials warning of dangerous conditions for Thanksgiving travelers returning home.
A blast of Arctic air first brought bitter temperatures 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit below average to the Northern Plains, the weather service said, prompting cold advisories for parts of North Dakota. But over the weekend the frigid air moved east, and it was expected to have the eastern third of the U.S. in its grip by Monday, with temperatures about 10 degrees below average.
Erie County, Pennsylvania, got some of the worst of the storm, with a disaster declared as more than three feet of snow covered parts of the region.
At least two feet of snow fell in parts of New York, Ohio and Michigan, with towns and villages around Lake Ontario and Lake Erie bearing the brunt. On Sunday, snow piled up as fast as three inches per hour in some parts of Western New York, forcing officials to declare a state of emergency there, too.
Near Buffalo, about two feet of snow fell at Highmark Stadium as crews and volunteers raced to clear the stands for the Bills' NFL game, and then raced against the weather to keep the field clear enough for play to continue.
"To go from no snow to two feet in one weekend, especially with the record-warm temps and stuff that we've had — it's been a lot to go from that, to switch gears into a pretty extreme snow fall," said Conner Kolb, whose WNY Snow Removal company was kept more than busy.
The National Weather Service warned on Sunday that post-Thanksgiving "travel could be difficult to impossible" in places where ongoing snowfall was forecast through the beginning of the week.
In Cleveland, forecasters said snowfall could continue periodically through Tuesday morning, though most of the heavy accumulation had been expected Sunday.
In a Saturday phone interview with WWNY-TV, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul told The Associated Press the state had prepared for the storm for days by deploying snow plows and thousands of workers, and consulting with utility providers. She also dispatched personnel from other parts of the state to assist.
"I know it's something they're all accustomed to and they can handle, but I want to let them know we are there with reinforcements and to make sure everyone can travel safely, especially over this really busy holiday weekend," she said.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a disaster emergency proclamation and warned that parts of Erie County could get more snow through Monday night.
Pennsylvania State Police responded to nearly 200 incidents during the 24-hour period from 6 a.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday, officials said. Authorities closed part of I-90 in Pennsylvania and westbound lanes of the New York Thruway heading toward Pennsylvania.
Parts of Michigan were battered by lake-effect snow, which happens when warm, moist air rising from a body of water mixes with cold dry air overhead.
There were 27 inches of snow just northeast of Ironwood, in the Upper Peninsula's western reaches, and another two feet in Munising, in the eastern area.
Continuing lake-effect snow could add more than a foot over the eastern Upper Peninsula through Monday morning, with 6 to 10 inches or higher to the west, state officials warned.