Metro Buffalo Under State of Emergency: Historic Lake Effect Snowstorm Brings 5 Feet of Snow, 2 Deaths Reported, Roads Closed; Thundersnow Observed in Some Areas

A State of Emergency has been declared in the Metro Buffalo area as a historic lake-effect snowstorm dumps nearly five feet of snow.

Authorities report closed roads and two deaths connected to snow removal.

Additionally, some areas are now reporting seeing thundersnow.

The cities of Watertown and Buffalo are currently experiencing a long-lasting lake-effect snowstorm, which will cause some areas to accumulate more than four feet of snow by the end of this weekend.

Snowfall rates of up to three inches per hour have been produced by bands of heavy snow off Ontario and Erie lakes since Thursday, skyrocketing storm totals to more than 50 inches, and the event remains far from over.

On Friday, it was reported that numerous vehicles trying to navigate the Buffalo metropolitan area got stuck due to impassable roads.

4 Feet to Over 5 Feet Snow

48 more inches of snow (four feet) have already covered Blasdell, New York's Buffalo Southtown, and 54 inches have fallen in Orchard Park.

The game happening on Sunday has been moved to Ford Field in Detroit due to the significant snowfall.

In the Orchard Park region, 66 inches were also reported by a weather spotter during the storm.

State of Emergency, 2 Deaths

Due to the anticipated feet of snow, New York Governor Kathy Hochul issued a state of emergency for the Buffalo and Watertown regions published on the New York State website.

As of Thursday night, a 132-mile section of the New York State Thruway, Interstate 90, was closed to all commercial traffic.

In particular, closed sections start at Rochester, New York, all the way to the Pennsylvania border.

Buffalo's county of Erie, New York, was also placed under a state of emergency. While the rest of Buffalo is still subject to a travel advisory, certain southern areas are under a travel ban.

An official from Erie County, New York, claimed that the storm was responsible for at least two deaths, warning that the snow is heavy and potentially dangerous.

The official said that two residents died after suffering cardiac problems while attempting to clear the snow.

Heavy snow shoveling can be harmful to one's health, medical professionals have noted.

According to a study published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine, more than 11,000 people seek medical care each year for accidents related to shoveling snow.

Saturday Forecast, Lake-Effect Snow Warnings

The Buffalo office of the National Weather Service noted that this lake-effect snow event's weather pattern is similar to the historic "Snowvember" lake-effect storm that crippled the Buffalo Southtowns in November 2014 with more than five feet of snow.

On the east and northeast shores of Lakes Erie and Ontario, including Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and Watertown in western New York, Lake-Effect Snow Warnings have been issued.

Bands of additional snowfall of eight to 12 inches or more are anticipated across the Buffalo and Watertown metro areas at rates of at least three inches per hour.

And Now... Thundersnow

Even the thickest snow bands along the lakefront have been known to experience thundersnow.

The Buffalo metropolitan area will experience a break from the heavy snowfall on Saturday afternoon as the Lake Erie band declines and shifts towards the north of the city.

Similar to this, Watertown will enjoy some relief on Saturday afternoon as the bands on Lake Ontario will be aimed well north of that metro area.

On Saturday night, both lake-effect snow bands will intensify and swing back southward, resulting in another two to three-inch-per-hour snowfall rate.

With additional snowfall accumulations of five to nine inches by Sunday morning, Buffalo and Watertown will experience yet another round of heavy snowfall overnight.

For the most populated areas of the region, the bands will settle to the south of Buffalo and Watertown during the day Sunday, ending the intense lake-effect snow.

However, an additional six inches to a foot of snowfall is anticipated by Sunday evening for regions well south of both Watertown Buffalo.

East of the Great Lakes Erie and Ontario, snow showers will probably continue through Monday with some additional light accumulations, FOX Weather reported.