Niagara braces for shift in major lake effect snow storm

Nov. 19—For streets crew in the Niagara Region generally, Friday was a good weather day.

While an intense lake effect snow storm pummeled the towns and villages south of Buffalo and much of the western southern tier of the state, accumulations of snow in Niagara County ranged from just a dusting to no more than 2 inches.

"So far, we haven't got much," said Niagara County Director of Emergency Services Jim Schultz. "I'd say an inch to 2 inches with some slush and ice. The (road) crews cleaned that up."

Schultz says county Department of Public Works crews were more than able to handle the frozen precipitation. County plows are responsible for clearing 8 main roadways totaling 105 miles.

The remaining 180 miles are plowed by local towns and villages who contract their services with the county.

Despite the largely sunny skies in the region on Friday, Schultz emerged from a mid-afternoon briefing with state officials and National Weather Service meteorologists to say that Friday night and Saturday morning could bring challenges to the the area.

"(NWS meteorologist) are waiting to see if the very intense lake effect snow band that has been pounding Hamburg and West Seneca and those areas south of Buffalo starts moving north," Schultz said.

Forecasts call for the band to shift into North Buffalo around 7 p.m. and then continue north through the Tonawandas and into North Tonawanda. The band would then likely continue north, into the Falls and Lewiston, before beginning to shift east toward Lockport.

"We could see significant snow then," Schultz said.

The National Weather Service is forecasting snowfalls in the range of 6 to 8 inches, with the possibility of up to 10 inches.

But as the snow band moves north into Niagara County, and becomes more land based, Schultz said it will begin to "get disorganized."

"As it continues over land, it begins to break up," he said. "Depending on how fast it breaks up, the (snow totals) could fall to 2, 3, 4, 5 inches. That's the unpredictability of lake effect snow."

Schultz said the weather service expects the storm to remain in Niagara County until early afternoon Saturday. Then it is projected to shift back to the Erie County south towns and completely break apart.

"It will be over by midnight Saturday," Schultz said.

Those same snow totals are forecast for the Falls, where Pubic Works crews were putting the final touches on their preparations Friday afternoon. Crews were expected to begin salting and treating the roads early Friday evening.

Mayor Robert Restaino said DPW crews will be working three shifts, around the clock, to deal with the snow. The department will have 13 plow trucks available.

The crews will follow a familiar plan of clearing main roads first, followed by secondary roads, side streets and alleys. City officials again reminded residents to follow all parking restrictions and to make sure that sidewalks are kept clear.