A significant lake-effect snow event is disrupting travel across the Great Lakes and interior Northeast, with feet of snow piling up and creating treacherous conditions.
Fans traveling to Buffalo for Sunday night’s football game between the Bills and the 49ers are being urged to plan carefully as the snowstorm continues.
Since the event began on Friday, areas from northeast Ohio through northwest Pennsylvania to southwestern New York have recorded snowfall ranging from 12 to 24 inches, with some areas exceeding 3 feet. Erie, Pennsylvania, and Cassadaga, New York, reported particularly high accumulations. Erie set a 24-hour snowfall record of 22.6 inches on Friday.
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Numerous road closures have been reported along major routes, including I-90 and I-86 in northwestern Pennsylvania. Snow squalls have created dangerous travel conditions, with rapidly changing visibility and frigid temperatures raising concerns about hypothermia and multi-vehicle accidents.
“As snow squalls continue to impact portions of I-90 in northeastern Ohio, northwestern Pennsylvania, and far southwestern New York through the weekend and into the early week, additional restrictions can occur,” warned AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex Duffus.
The coldest air of the season has swept across the Midwest, Ohio Valley, and Northeast, with high temperatures ranging from the teens in North Dakota to the 30s Fahrenheit across southern Illinois and Kentucky. Gusty winds reaching 20-30 mph are exacerbating the frigid conditions.
Forecasters expect some relief early in the workweek, as wind speeds may decrease by 5-15 mph on Monday and Tuesday, offering a slight reprieve from the blustery conditions.
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Despite the severe weather, the Sunday night football game between Buffalo and San Francisco at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, is still scheduled for an 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff. The stadium, located 10 miles southeast of Buffalo, is in the heart of the lake-effect snow zone.
AccuWeather Meteorologist Grady Gilman warned of significant snowfall leading up to the game: “A significant lake-effect snow band will be oriented from southwest to northeast, producing rates of 2-4 inches per hour. By Sunday morning, over a foot of snow is expected at Highmark Stadium, though downtown Buffalo may only see 1-3 inches.”
While the snow band may shift slightly south of Orchard Park by game time, snow showers are still expected during the game, with additional accumulations and periods of reduced visibility. Travel to and from the stadium is expected to remain hazardous, particularly along I-90.
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The snowy pattern is set to persist across the Great Lakes into early next week. On Monday, lake-effect snow showers will continue along the eastern and southern shores of the Great Lakes, adding to already substantial totals. High temperatures will remain in the teens across the Dakotas and Minnesota, with widespread 30s from Missouri to New England.
Forecasters are also monitoring a new storm system expected to move south from Canada between Tuesday and Thursday, potentially bringing another round of snow to the Midwest, Great Lakes, and Northeast.
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