Snowfall and Flooding in Gaylord, Michigan, During the First Big Snow of the Season: A Disaster Emergency Warning for Erie County

Meanwhile steady winds that trained snow bands Friday on Gaylord, Michigan, dumped 24.8 inches (63 centimeters), setting a new single-day record for the city, which sits in a region dotted by ski resorts, said Keith Berger, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Gaylord office. The previous record of 17.0 inches (43 centimeters) was from March 9, 1942.

Western portions of New York are also forecast to remain under lake effect snow warnings through Monday night, causing difficult and dangerous travel conditions. In Jefferson County, an additional 12 to 18 inches of snow are expected on top of the already 3 to 4 feet of snow it has received over the past few days. Oravec said there has also been heavy lake effect snow south of Buffalo, with a little over 3 feet in Cassadaga in New York.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The first big snowfall of the season blanketed towns along Lake Erie on Saturday in the middle of the hectic holiday travel and shopping weekend. There would be dangerous cold and heavy snow next week in the Great Lakes, Plains and Midwest regions.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro declared a disaster emergency in Erie County on Saturday to provide additional resources to help those impacted by the snow. The National Guard was mobilized by Shapiro to help with stranded drivers.

“Whiteout conditions are expected and will make travel treacherous and potentially life-threatening,” the NWS warned, adding that residents should prepare for “rapid changes in weather, visibility, and road conditions.”

Snowfall on Erie, Pennsylvania, During a Collapse of the Buffalo Bills and Northern Colliers during a Supersonic Breakout

Northwestern portions of Pennsylvania have received significant snowfall, including the Erie County area, which has received between 24 to 30 inches of snow since Saturday.

Emergency responders, essential employees and cases of medical emergency are only available for travel until further notice in Erie, Pennsylvania. The snow and slippery conditions resulted in vehicles getting stuck and blocking intersections and streets, officials said, and people were urged to shelter in place and allow crews to clear neighborhoods during a lull in the storm.

A group of people took refuge in the lobby and hallways of a Holiday Inn near I-90 when the roads in northwestern Pennsylvania were not accessible. Hotel staffer Jeremiah Weatherley said dozens of people rolled in as the snow piled up, and workers opened the conference room and gave them blankets to sleep on the floor.

The Buffalo Bills requested fans to clear snow out of Highmark Stadium ahead of their game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. The halftime show has been postponed because the game is still scheduled to take place.

This week’s blast of Arctic air also brought bitter temperatures of 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit below average to the Northern Plains, the weather service said, prompting cold advisories for parts of North Dakota.

Twenty-seven inches (69 centimeters) of snow was on the ground just northeast of Ironwood, in the Upper Peninsula’s western reaches, she said. The eastern part of the peninsula is where 2 feet fell in Munising.

The snowfall was good news for Treetops Resort, which features 80 acres (32 hectares) of ski hill terrain among its 2,000 acres (809 hectares), said Doug Hoeh, the resort’s director of recreation. The resort will be opening next weekend, but snowmaking machines will be cranking up in the coming days to make more snow.

“Obviously when you get that much snowfall, it’s great for the snow hills, but it’s bad for the parking lots, so we’re kind of digging out,” Hoeh said. The natural snowfall helps and we’re close to being ready to start skiing.

State of Emergency and Travel Warnings for Erie County, New York, after Hochul’s First Day of Winter ’09: More Snow and Winds in the Northeast

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has declared a state of emergency for several counties, including Erie county, where the city of Buffalo is located, and is urging residents to “avoid unnecessary travel.” The department of transportation says that there are travel restrictions for commercial vehicles on some highways.

Weather officials caution that parts of the state, including the Watertown area, could see more snow Wednesday night to Thursday night, with wind gusts over 40 miles per hour.

Snow is also blanketing parts of Ohio and lake effect snow warnings will continue through Tuesday morning for cities like Cleveland and surrounding Cuyahoga County. Northeastern parts of the county are forecast to receive between 6 and 18 inches of snow that could lead to whiteout conditions and make “travel treacherous and potentially life-threatening,” according to Cleveland weather officials.

Lt. Adam Reed of the Pennsylvania State Police communications office said that state troopers were responding to “weather related crashes” and also helping stranded drivers.

The teams at PEMA, the Pennsylvania State Police, and PennDOT have been dispatched to help fellow Pennsylvanians as the impacts of heavy lake-effect snow hit Erie County. If you can be safe and follow the instructions of your local authorities, stay off the roads.

The Northeast and upper Midwest will be covered in heavy snow this week as officials warn of travel impacts.