The lake effect snow is expected to continue in the Northeast and Midwest

The First Big Snowfall of the Season in Erie, Pennsylvania, The Gaylord Area, Sets a New Single-Day Snowfall Record

The Gaylord, Michigan, area set a new single-day record for snowfall on Friday, as bands of snow were trained by the weather service. The previous record was from March 9, 1942.

The lake effect snow is when warm waters of the Great Lakes result in cold air moving into the atmosphere. Clouds can produce 2 inches of snow an hour.

The city of Buffalo, New York. In the middle of a busy holiday travel and shopping weekend, the first big snowfall of the season blanketed towns along Lake Erie on Saturday. The Great Lakes, Plains and Midwest regions were predicted to be affected by the heavy snow and cold that was forecast to last next week.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro declared a disaster emergency in Erie County on Saturday to provide additional resources to help those impacted by the snow. The National Guard was dispatched to help with stranded drivers and provide resources for those affected by the snow.

“Travel will be extremely difficult and hazardous this weekend, especially in areas where multiple feet of snow may accumulate very quickly,” the National Weather Service said.

Between 24 to 30 inches of snow has fallen in the Erie County area over the course of a few days.

The city of Erie, Pennsylvania, said travel was being limited to emergency responders and essential employees and cases of medical emergency until further notice due. People were urged to shelter in place and allow crews to clear the neighborhoods during a lull in the storm after the snow and slippery conditions resulted in vehicles getting stuck.

With roads in some parts impassable in northwestern Pennsylvania, scores of people took refuge overnight in the lobby and hallways of a fully booked Holiday Inn near I-90. The hotel employees opened the conference room to allow people to sleep on the floor as snow piled up, and gave them blankets to sleep in, according to Weatherley.

The heavy snowfall prompted the Buffalo Bills to ask fans for help to clear snow out of Highmark Stadium ahead of the team’s game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night. The halftime show has been postponed, despite the game still taking place.

This week’s blast of Arctic air also brought bitter temperatures of 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit below average to the Northern Plains, the weather service said, prompting cold advisories for parts of North Dakota.

She said there was 27 inches (64 centimeters) of snow on the ground northeast of Ironwood. Another 2 feet (61 centimeters) fell in Munising, in the eastern part of the peninsula.

The director of recreation at the Treetops Resort said that the snowfall was a good thing for the 80 acres of ski hill terrain. It boosted the base that snowmaking machines will be adding to in the coming days before the resort opens for the season next weekend.

“Obviously when you get that much snowfall, it’s great for the snow hills, but it’s bad for the parking lots, so we’re kind of digging out,” Hoeh said. Natural snowfall helps, and we are close to being ready to start skiing.

New York State Highway Safety Alerts from Erie County, Pennsylvania, as Lake-Effect Snow Becomes Anomalous on Tuesday

Erie county, where Buffalo is located, has been declared a state of emergency by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is urging residents to avoid unnecessary travel. There are restrictions on travel on some highways, for example a portion of I-90 for commercial vehicles.

The weather office cautions that parts of the state could see more snow with high wind gusts.

Snow is also blanketing parts of Ohio and lake effect snow warnings will continue through Tuesday morning for cities like Cleveland and surrounding Cuyahoga County. Northeastern parts of the county are forecast to receive between 6 and 18 inches of snow that could lead to whiteout conditions and make “travel treacherous and potentially life-threatening,” according to Cleveland weather officials.

Lt. Adam Reed of the Pennsylvania State Police communications office said that state troopers were responding to “weather related crashes” and also helping stranded drivers.

“Our teams at PEMA, the Pennsylvania State Police and PennDOT have been on the ground overnight to aid in the rescue of their fellow Pennsylvanians as heavy lake-effect snow hit Erie County,” he said. “Stay off the roads if you can, be safe, and follow instructions from PEMA and your local authorities.”

The Northeast and upper Midwest will see a lot of snow this week as officials warn of travel impacts.