Weekend Lake-Effect Snow Event Will Bury Parts of Great Lakes

A major lake-effect snow event is setting up to dump snowfall measuring up to 4 feet across parts of New York and Pennsylvania this weekend. The majority of the snow will blanket the region downwind of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. This will all happen as the central Plains braces for a monster snow and ice storm and the southern tier of the U.S. prepares for a severe weather threat on Sunday. Read on for all of the details.

More Lake-Effect Snow on the Way for the Great Lakes This Weekend

The lake-effect snow machine fired up again this weekend thanks to an influx of cold air coming down from the north. While the direction of the wind has shifted just a bit, the mass of cold air has anchored itself over the region. The result has been snowfall of varying degrees for the Great Lakes region to start the new year.

As of the middle of the day Friday, there had already been 7 inches of snow recorded in Erie, Pennsylvania. The community of Mayfield, New York was reporting 8.5 inches of snow at this time. Upstate New York has seen the most of the snow thus far with measurements ranging between 10 and 20 inches. The area around Utica saw over 30 inches of snow by the time that the sun went down Friday.

This pattern is expected to continue through the weekend as the frigid air will linger over the warmer waters of the Great Lakes. The entirety of the region will be under the gun for some level of lake-effect snow, however, forecasters are predicting that the heaviest snow bands will set up across parts of Pennsylvania and New York. This snow is expected to last through at least the end of the day Saturday in this region.

Meteorologists are warning that the snowfall totals will continue to climb as the flakes swirl downwind of Lake Ontario well into Sunday. This will translate to significant amounts of snow for Utica, Syracuse, and more. Motorists using portions of Interstate 81 and Interstate 90 will want to stay abreast of this forecast as road closures could be a possibility during the peak of the snow.

Specific City Forecasts

Looking at a few specific area forecasts, Syracuse is forecast to pick up 5 to 8 inches of snow on Saturday alone to add to the running total. It will also be a windy day with winds out of the west at 15 to 25 mph. Some gusts could eclipse the 40 mph mark at times. Highs will top out in the upper 20s before slipping to about 23 degrees overnight with another inch of accumulation likely. Sunday will bring snowfall totals of about 1 to 3 inches during the day, winds out of the west at 10 to 20 mph, and highs remaining in the mid 20s.

It will be even snowier in Utica. The city is expecting 3 to 5 inches of snow on Saturday with another 3 to 5 inches overnight. Sunday's forecast is calling for another inch of snow before the bands finally begin to dissipate. Highs will hold steady in the low to mid 20s over the weekend with colder temperatures on the way for the new work week. For example, Monday's forecast is only expecting to hit a high of about 18 degrees after the mercury dips into the single digits the night prior.

After seeing a good amount of snow earlier in the week, Erie will dodge the worst of the weekend event. The city in northern Pennsylvania is going to see just a few flurries over the weekend. Winds will be an issue for this region, whipping around from the west at 15 to 25 mph on Saturday before topping out at 10 to 20 mph on Sunday. More snow is on the horizon next week for Erie and its environs.

Buffalo will also miss out on significant snow accumulation this time around. However, it will be a cold and windy stretch of days for the metro area along the banks of Lake Erie. The mercury will struggle to climb out of the mid 20s while winds will clock in at 15 to 25 mph to bring the real feel readings down even lower.

The precise location of the snow bands will begin to move around on Sunday, making it difficult to predict with certainty what communities will get hit the hardest. In general, another foot of snow is possible for many areas by the time the event wraps up.

When Will the Snow Exit the Region?

The latest forecast models are indicating that the lake-effect snow will wind down by the end of the weekend. A different winter storm ejecting out of the Rockies and roaring across the Plains beginning late Saturday will work to change the wind direction of the lake-effect snow system as it tracks into the Ohio Valley.

However, more waves of Arctic air are on the horizon for a large portion of the country over the next few weeks. This will raise the threat of more disruptive winter weather makers. In addition, the persistent push of Arctic air into the Great Lakes and beyond will prevent snow melt in the short-term.

The bottom line is that those in the Great Lakes should buckle up as more snow is definitely on the way as the depths of winter arrive. Meanwhile, all but the western third of the country is likely to be in the bullseye for some level of disruptive weather through the end of the weekend and into next week. Stay tuned for more information about what to expect in the hours and days ahead.

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