Buffalo, New York – A narrow but dangerous band of freezing rain is setting up south and east of Buffalo this morning, with up to a half inch of ice possible on elevated surfaces along I-90 before 1 a.m. Thursday.
According to the National Weather Service in Buffalo, a Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect for northern Erie, Genesee and Wyoming counties, as well as counties along the southern Lake Ontario shoreline, through 1 a.m. Thursday. Temperatures hovering at or just below 32 degrees will allow freezing rain to accumulate, especially along and north of Interstate 90.
Forecasters expect total ice accumulation between 0.1 and 0.5 inch in the advisory area, with the highest amounts from near Batavia east toward Rochester and into parts of Livingston and Ontario counties. Little to no freezing rain is expected in the immediate city of Buffalo, where surface temperatures may stay slightly above freezing.
Ice will cling most readily to untreated bridges, overpasses and power lines. Roads including I-90, I-490 and I-390 could turn slick quickly if surface temperatures dip even a degree. Tree limbs weighed down by up to a half inch of ice could snap, leading to scattered power outages, particularly where ice totals approach 0.5 inch.
Drivers should slow down, increase following distance and avoid sudden braking tonight. Charge electronic devices in case of isolated outages. The advisory runs until 1 a.m. Thursday, and additional updates are possible if colder air expands farther west.
