Cleveland, OH – A powerful stretch of lake-effect snow is hammering the Great Lakes region from Ohio and Pennsylvania to New York and northern Pennsylvania, creating dangerous travel conditions through late Friday and early Saturday.
According to multiple National Weather Service offices in Cleveland, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, State College, Burlington, Albany, and Binghamton, persistent northwest flow over the relatively warm lakes is producing narrow but intense snow bands with snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour.
The heaviest totals are expected in traditional lake-effect snow belts. Off Lake Erie and Lake Ontario in New York, Jefferson, Lewis, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Southern Erie, Wayne, Northern Cayuga, Oswego, Allegany, and parts of Oneida and Onondaga counties could see 10 to 24 inches in the most persistent bands, especially across the Tug Hill Plateau, Chautauqua Ridge, and higher terrain.
In Ohio and Pennsylvania, warnings cover areas including Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga, Ashtabula Inland, Portage, Trumbull, Mercer, Warren, McKean, and Potter counties, where additional totals generally range from 4 to 15 inches, with localized higher amounts. Southeastern St. Lawrence County in New York and parts of the Adirondacks and central New York may see 5 to 16 inches with blowing snow.
Forecasters warn of frequent whiteout conditions, wind gusts up to 35–45 mph, and rapidly changing visibility just a few miles apart. Major routes at risk include I-90 (NY Thruway and Ohio Turnpike), I-79, I-81, I-86, I-390, I-271, and I-480, along with numerous secondary roads.
Officials across multiple states are urging motorists to delay nonessential Thanksgiving and Black Friday travel. Those who must drive are advised to carry an emergency kit, slow down, and prepare for sudden drops in visibility and snow-covered roads.
