State of Emergency Declared for Multiple Counties
Snow Totals of up to Six Feet in the North Country and Four Feet in Western New York Projected
Travel Advisories in Place in Jefferson, Lewis and Portions of Erie Counties
All Commercial Vehicles Banned on the Thruway from Exit 46 to the PA Line in Both Directions; Thruway remains closed to All Traffic at Exit 57 Westbound
Empty and Tandem Commercial Vehicle Bans in Effect on I-86 from the Pennsylvania State Line to I-390 and State Route 219 from the Pennsylvania State Line to I-90
Governor Kathy Hochul today provided an update as a significant lake effect snow continues to impact communities. On Friday, Governor Hochul declared a State of Emergency for Allegany, Erie, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Genesee, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Oswego, St. Lawrence, Wyoming, and contiguous counties. In addition to what has currently fallen, additional snow totals of three to four feet are possible in the Tug Hill and Watertown areas and two to three feet in the southern Erie County and northern Chautauqua County areas.
“As New Yorkers face this lake effect snowstorm, I urge New Yorkers in impacted regions to remain vigilant and avoid unnecessary travel,” Governor Hochul said. “My administration is working around the clock with our state agencies and over 100 National Guard members on the ground to support local communities. Please heed travel advisories and look out for one another. Together, we will weather this storm.”
Lake effect snow will continue through Monday with the heaviest snowfall occurring through early Sunday morning, and an additional period of heavy snow late Sunday night into Monday morning across parts of Western New York and the North Country Regions. These regions should expect snowfall rates of one to three inches per hour and three to four inches in the most intense snow bands.
A wind shift will bring lake effect snow into the Central New York and Mohawk Valley Regions on Sunday and Monday. Currently four to eight inches of snow in Central New York and three to five inches in the Mohawk Valley are projected with snowfall rates of one to two inches per hour.
Travel advisories have been issued due to poor driving conditions as a result of the weather for Jefferson, Lewis, and portions of Erie County. Hazardous to impossible travel conditions are expected through Monday due to snow covered roads and reduced visibilities. Wind gusts will likely cause blowing and drifting snow, and isolated power outages. Snow will accumulate rapidly in persistent snow bands, and visibility will be drastically reduced with near whiteout conditions.
State Department of Transportation forces are fully engaged and responding across the state with 3,527 supervisors and operators available statewide. Staff can be configured into any type of response crew that is needed (plow, drainage, chipper, load & haul, cut & toss, etc.). All residencies in impacted locations will remain staffed for 24/7 operations with operators, supervisors and mechanics throughout the duration of the event and priority cleanup operations. The Department also remains in close communication with the City of Buffalo and other local municipalities in storm impacted areas and stands ready to provide assistance as needed.
Statewide equipment numbers are as follows:
- 1,635 large plow trucks
- 339 large loaders
- 150 medium duty plows
- 51 tow plows
- 35 snow blowers
- 18 graders
In order to support response operations in storm-impacted areas, the Department deployed an additional 62 staff – including 15 plow trucks, four snow blowers, two graders, 44 plow truck operators, nine supervisors, six equipment operator instructors, one supervising equipment operator instructor, one assistant manager and one ICS support specialist – to the North Country and Western New York.
To further support response operations, the Department has initiated a second wave of deployments to Western New York and the North Country. Four plow trucks, three sow blowers and 34 staff - including 17 plow truck operators, five supervisors, four ICS support staff, and eight mechanics – have been deployed as follows:
North Country
- Receiving one ICS support staff member from the Capital Region
- Receiving three operators, one supervisor and one snow blower from the Mohawk Valley
- Receiving three operators, one supervisor, and one snow blower from Central N.Y.
- Receiving eight operators, two supervisors, three ICS support staff, two mechanics and four plow trucks from the Mid-Hudson Region
- Receiving two mechanics from the Western Southern Tier
- Receiving three operators, one supervisor, and one snow blower from the Southern Tier
Western NY
- Receiving two mechanics from Central N.Y.
- Receiving two mechanics from the Finger Lakes
Regions experiencing lake effect snows will also perform rolling assists to enhance coverage in the heavy snowfall areas. These rolling assists will shift as the bands oscillate.
Tow services will be on station along U.S. Route 219 in Erie County, I-81 in Oswego County and I-81 in Jefferson County.
The need for additional resources will be re-evaluated as conditions warrant throughout the event.
For real-time travel information, motorists should call 511 or visit 511ny.org, New York State's official traffic and travel information source.
Thruway Authority
Bans/Closures
Due to the closure of I-90 in Pennsylvania, the NYS Thruway (I-90) westbound remains closed from exit 57 (Hamburg – East Aurora – State Route 75) to the Pennsylvania State Line until further notice. Eastbound lanes are open.
All commercial vehicles are banned on the Thruway from exit 46 (Rochester – Corning – I-390) to the PA State Line in both directions until further notice.
The Thruway Authority is responding with 691 operators and supervisors available. Statewide equipment numbers and resources are listed below:
- 368 large and medium duty plow trucks
- 10 tow plows
- 63 loaders
- 126,000+ tons of salt on hand
Variable Message Signs and social media (X and Facebook) are utilized to alert motorists of winter weather conditions on the Thruway.
New for the 2024-2025 snow and ice season, all of the Thruway's more than 250 heavy-duty plow trucks are equipped with green hazard lights, complementing the standard amber hazard lights. Green lights are intended to improve visibility and enhance safety during winter operations, particularly in low-light conditions and poor weather. Drivers are reminded that Thruway snowplows travel at about 35 miles per hour — which in many cases is slower than the posted speed limit — in order to ensure that salt being dispersed stays in the driving lanes and does not scatter off the roadways. The safest place for motorists is well behind the snowplows where the roadway is clear and treated.
The Thruway Authority encourages motorists to download the Thruway mobile app which is available for free on iPhone and Android devices. The app provides motorists direct access to real-time traffic information, live traffic cameras and navigation assistance while on the go. Motorists can also sign up for TRANSalert e-mails and follow @ThruwayTraffic on X for the latest traffic conditions along the Thruway.
