Paralyzing lake-effect snow dumps more than 40 inches in Great Lakes, upstate NY

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Paralyzing amounts of snow are continuing to smother towns along the eastern shores of the Great Lakes as a record-breaking lake-effect snowstorm blasts the region, prompting major road closures and travel bans.

As of Sunday, snowfall totals have exceeded 3 feet downwind of Lake Erie in parts of northwestern Pennsylvania’s Erie County and western New York south of Buffalo and downwind of Lake Ontario in northern New York, and an additional 1-2 feet of snow is possible before the storm begins to wind down.

With snow falling between 1 and 4 inches an hour, accumulations overwhelmed efforts to keep roads clear under the heaviest bands.

Interstate 90 was closed in both directions across Erie County, Pennsylvania, where the neighborhood of North East reported over 43 inches as of Sunday morning, and other nearby towns exceeded 3 feet.

The I-90 closure extended into New York state, but Gov. Kathy Hochul said late Saturday afternoon that the westbound lanes from Exit 57 to the Pennsylvania state line reopened to passenger traffic.

However, a commercial travel ban remains in effect from Exit 46 to the Pennsylvania state line.

Interstate 86 was also closed near Erie, Pennsylvania, and New York officials issued travel bans in Dunkirk, Fredonia and Pomfret.

“We have been working tirelessly to keep Route 5 open in the Dunkirk area, however, over 100 vehicles had to be towed from Route 5 to make it possible for our plows to get through,” New York State DOT officials posted on X. “THIS is why we ask that you stay off the roads if you do not have to travel!”

FOX Weather Storm Tracker Brandon Copic said even smaller passenger vehicles were having a tough time maneuvering through the snow and rescues were taking place.

“Honestly, it’s just chaos out here,” Copic said Saturday. “The trucks are going on roads they shouldn’t be going because the highways are closed, and that just leads to more cars getting stranded. I spent 15 hours Friday night helping people … doing what I can to assist those who are stuck.”

Copic sent his drone above Pennsylvania’s State Route 5 near the New York border around noon Saturday to find an epic gridlock of dozens of vehicles stuck in the snow.

“The trucks that are jackknifed up the road is what caused the gridlock,” Copic said, estimating that most of the vehicles have been stranded there since Friday. 

“I can almost 100% say for a fact that 95% of these vehicles in this lineup have been here at least the past 18 hours,” he said Saturday afternoon. 

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for nearly a dozen upstate counties as crews braced for the long-duration event, while in Pennsylvania, Gov. Josh Shaprio has activated the state’s National Guard to assist with stranded drivers and help emergency vehicles respond to calls.

Erie County Executive Brenton Davis declared a snow disaster. “Roads are dangerous, and travel is strongly discouraged except for emergencies,” Davis’ proclamation read.