Lake Effect Snow

[superstorm93]

The National Weather Service in Buffalo,NY has issued a Lake Effect Snow Warning.. So far more then 60,000 people are without power due to the Heavy Snow that has been falling through out the day.

Lake Effect Snow Warning
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
648 PM EDT THU OCT 12 2006

...HEAVY WET SNOW TO CAUSE WIDESPREAD TREE DAMAGE AND BRING DOWN
POWER LINES TONIGHT...

.A WESTERLY FLOW OF UNSEASONABLY COLD AIR CIRCULATING AROUND A
VERY INTENSE STORM UP OVER LAKE SUPERIOR WILL CONTINUE TO POUR
INTO WESTERN NEW YORK TONIGHT. THIS COLD AIR CROSSING THE 60
DEGREE WATERS OF LAKE ERIE WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE BANDS OF
INTENSE LAKE EFFECT PRECIPITATION.

HEAVY WET SNOW WILL OCCASIONALLY MIX WITH SLEET THIS EVENING AND
TONIGHT. MOST OF THIS AREA COULD EASILY SEE 3 INCHES OF HEAVY WET
SNOW WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 6 INCHES OR MORE NOT OUT OF THE
QUESTION. THE MAIN IMPACT FROM THIS SNOWFALL WILL BE TO BRING DOWN
TREE LIMBS AND POWER LINES. AREA ROADS WILL BE SLUSHY...BUT THE
RELATIVE WARMTH OF THE GROUND WILL HELP TO KEEP ACCUMULATIONS DOWN
ON ROADWAYS.

HEAVY SNOW IN THE BUFFALO METRO AREA THIS EARLY IS
UNPRECEDENTED...AND UNIQUE CONDITIONS MUST EXIST. THERE STILL IS
SOME DOUBT AS TO THE SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION AS THE GROUND AND LAKE
ARE VERY WARM.

CONDITIONS SHOULD IMPROVE QUICKLY FRIDAY MORNING AS THE LAKE
EFFECT ACTIVITY MOVES EVEN FURTHER NORTH AND BECOMES MAINLY RAIN
ONCE AGAIN.

NYZ001-002-010-011-130700-
/O.CON.KBUF.LE.W.0008.061013T0000Z-061013T1000Z/
NIAGARA-ORLEANS-NORTHERN ERIE-GENESEE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...NIAGARA FALLS...MEDINA...BUFFALO...
BATAVIA
648 PM EDT THU OCT 12 2006

...LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM EDT
FRIDAY...

A LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM EDT
FRIDAY.

A BAND OF HEAVY WET SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE REGION THIS
EVENING AND MOST OF THE NIGHT. THE ACTIVITY WILL FOCUS OVER THE
BUFFALO METRO AREA AND EAST TO BATAVIA...THEN LIFT NORTH LATER
TONIGHT. THE HEAVY WET SNOW WILL CAUSE WIDEPSREAD TREE DAMAGE AND
BRING DOWN POWER LINES. ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE DIFFICULT TO
DETERMINE BECAUSE OF THE VERY WET NATURE OF THE SNOW...BUT MUCH OF
THE REGION SHOULD RECEIVE UP TO 3 INCHES...WITH 6 INCHES POSSIBLE
IN THE HEAVIEST PART OF THE SNOWBAND.

REMEMBER...IN LAKE EFFECT SNOW THE WEATHER CAN VARY FROM LOCALLY
HEAVY SNOW IN NARROW BANDS TO CLEAR SKIES JUST A FEW MILES AWAY.
IF YOU WILL BE TRAVELING ACROSS THE REGION BE PREPARED FOR RAPID
CHANGES IN ROAD AND VISIBILITY CONDITIONS. THE HEAVY WET SNOW WILL
BRING DOWN NUMEROUS TREE LIMBS WHICH COULD ALSO IMPACT TRAVEL ON
ROADS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER RADIO AND TV
STATIONS FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES.

[Sean in New Orleans]

Early snow...gotta love it.

[bob rulz]

This is definitely producing more than 3-6 inches. An intense area of LES is seeing 1-2 feet and some intense, record-breaking snowfall. Do we have any regular posters from the Buffalo area? I'd love to hear about this.

[superstorm93]

Special Weather Statement
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
329 AM EDT FRI OCT 13 2006

NYZ001-002-010-011-085-131530-
NIAGARA-ORLEANS-NORTHERN ERIE-GENESEE-SOUTHERN ERIE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...NIAGARA FALLS...MEDINA...BUFFALO...
BATAVIA...ORCHARD PARK...SPRINGVILLE
329 AM EDT FRI OCT 13 2006

...HISTORIC RECORD SETTING SNOWFALL FOR THE NIAGARA FRONTIER...

A MAJOR EARLY SEASON LAKE EFFECT SNOW STORM CONTINUED TO HAMMER
THE REGION AROUND BUFFALO NEW YORK THROUGH THE WEE HOURS OF
FRIDAY MORNING.

BY 3AM, THE BUFFALO AIRPORT HAD RECEIVED 14 INCHES OF SNOW WITH
NEARLY 4 INCHES OCCURRING IN THE PAST HOUR. ELSEWHERE, IN THE
VILLAGE OF DEPEW, THE SNOW HAD QUICKLY PILED UP TO 24 INCHES SINCE
IT BEGAN LESS THAN 12 HOURS AGO. THIS IS AMAZING CONSIDERING THE
WATERS OF LAKE ERIE WERE A WARM 62 DEGREES AS THE SNOWBAND FORMED
LATE THURSDAY.

UTILITY COMPANIES WERE REPORTING WELL OVER 1000,000 CUSTOMERS
WITHOUT POWER. THE WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES WERE A RESULT OF A
COMBINATION OF VERY HEAVY WATER LADEN SNOW ACCUMULATING ON TREES
THAT STILL HAVE MOST OF THEIR LEAVES. TREES LIMBS BREAK UNDER THE
WEIGHT OF THE SNOW AND BRING DOWN POWER LINES AS WELL. TREE DAMAGE
ACROSS THE AREA HAS BEEN VERY SIGNIFICANT.

THE ENTIRE AREA THE STORM HAS AFFECTED IS ONLY ABOUT 25 MILES
WIDE, EXTENDING FROM ORCHARD PARK IN CENTRAL ERIE
COUNTY...NORTHWARD THROUGH THE CITY OF BUFFALO TO NIAGARA FALLS.
STORM TOTALS ARE EXPECTED TO TOP OUT IN THE RANGE OF 18 TO 30
INCHES PARTICULARLY IN THE NORTHERN HALF OF ERIE COUNTY. BRISK
WELL ALIGNED WINDS WILL EXTEND THE BAND AS FAR INLAND AS THE
WESTERN SUBURBS OF ROCHESTER AT TIMES. AT THE SAME TIME, NO SNOW
AT ALL IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE TRADITIONAL SNOWBELT AREA WELL
SOUTH OF BUFFALO.

THE SNOWBAND WILL STAY LOCKED IN ACROSS THE AREA WITHIN A FEW
MILES OF THE CITY OF BUFFALO THROUGH THE MORNING RUSH HOUR THEN
GRADUALLY DRIFT NORTHWARD OUT OF THE AREA AND WEAKEN AS THE
MORNING PROGRESSES.

DRIVING BANS EXIST IN MANY COMMUNITIES. IN ADDITION, IN AREAS
WHERE POWER OUTAGES HAVE OCCURRED, DO NOT WALK AROUND OUTSIDE
UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. YOU COULD CONTACT DOWNED POWER LINES
AND RISK ELECTROCUTION.