Heather Ahmed digs out after a violent blizzard with lake effect affected the Buffalo, New York area on Saturday.
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Heather Ahmed digs out after a severe blizzard with lake effect affected the Buffalo, New York area on Saturday.
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Residents in western New York are digging after a major winter storm passed through the area, dropping more than 6 feet of snow in some areas.
buffalo city Set a record for daily snowfall, with 16.1 inches on Saturday morning. The previous record was 7.6 inches.
Zaria Black, 24, from Buffalo, clears her car during snowfall Friday, November 18, 2022, in Buffalo, NY
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Zaria Black, 24, from Buffalo, clears her car as it snows Friday, November 18, 2022, in Buffalo, NY
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National Weather Service tweeted on Sunday morning that “heavy snow has (finally) melted in the Buffalo metro area, but there will be areas of snow today.” NPR member station reports WBFO some winter weather advisories remain in effect until 10 p.m. ET.
The NWS says the heaviest snowfall due to the lake effect will fall off Lake Ontario on Sunday night, with a snowfall rate of 3 inches an hour.
Abandoned trucks block lanes along 20th Street after a severe snowstorm affected the area Saturday in Hamburg, New York.
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Governor Kathy Hochul on saturday called storm “one for the record book.” She said the state will submit an emergency declaration request to receive assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
There were 88 auto accidents reported on Saturday afternoon and only 280 people needed to be rescued as most had complied with the travel ban put in place, Hochul said.
The National Guard clears the way after a severe snowstorm affected the area Saturday in Hamburg, New York.
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She also thanked everyone who has “rolled up their sleeves” to help, and called on Western New Yorkers to be resilient.
Hochul says that through effective planning, “we were able to prevent many tragedies.”
“This is your Super Bowl and I want to tell you, you won,” she said.
Denis Marszalkowski uses a snow blower to dig after a severe lake-effect blizzard hit western New York.
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The region’s last major snowfall has taken place eight years agowhen another lake effect storm causes more than 5 feet of snow.
Mark Poloncarz, CEO of Erie County, led an effort to correct what he said was a mistake during that 2014 hurricane, when road clearance efforts were stalled by abandoned cars again. He said the travel ban introduced this time made cleanup easier.
“We’re here, really just 48 hours from when it started snowing, with the heaviest snowfall ever recorded in New York State history in a 24-hour period, and we’re lifting the travel ban. back since midnight, and we are looking good to hopefully be able to lift some more travel bans by the end of tomorrow,” Poloncarz said on Saturday night.
Here’s what it looked like around Buffalo and parts of western New York after a massive snowstorm hit.
New cars are shown buried under snow after a violent blizzard affected the area on Saturday in Hamburg, New York.
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Robert Skimin uses an ATV to dig after a violent snowstorm.
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Robert Skimin uses an ATV to dig after a violent snowstorm.
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Ragnor, a Norwegian moose hound, plays in the snow on Friday in Hamburg, New York.
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Ragnor, a Norwegian moose hound, plays in the snow on Friday in Hamburg, New York.
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A person crosses Ellicott Road during snowfall on Friday, November 18 in Buffalo.
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A person crosses Ellicott Road during snowfall on Friday, November 18 in Buffalo.
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This post contains reports from WBFO, WRVOby Ava Pukatch and the Associated Press.
