Dangerous lake effect snowstorm could drop 2 to 3 feet in Upstate NY; high winds could make driving ‘impossible’

Syracuse, N.Y. — Central and Western New York are expected to get slammed with lake effect snow today through New Year’s Eve, piling up to 2 or 3 feet in some spots.

The snow will be intense, coming down at 1 to 2 inches an hour at some points, amid wind gusts of up to 50 mph in Central New York and 75 mph in the North Country.

“Travel could be very difficult to impossible” in much of the region, the National Weather Service said. “Areas of blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility.”

The snowfall is expected to begin in earnest after dark tonight. Tuesday could be a real mess as the snow ramps up, falling heavily throughout the day and potentially snarling both the morning and evening commutes.

In Syracuse, 18 inches of snow could pile up by Wednesday morning, with a foot of that expected in just 12 hours, from 1 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday.

Areas of the Tug Hill plateau could get 3 feet of snow, especially south of Watertown and Fort Drum. Winds there could reach a hurricane-force 75 mph, the weather service said, blowing down trees and power lines, and making driving all but impossible.

“Whiteout conditions are expected starting this afternoon and will make travel treacherous and potentially life-threatening,” the weather service warned.

Winter storm warningsthe highest level of winter alert, are in place for counties downwind of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

Snow is expected to begin this morning in Western New York and this afternoon in Central New York. It could last through Wednesday.

The fierce winds could uproot trees sitting in soil softened by recent rain and snowmelt. In an unusual warning, the weather service’s Buffalo office urged people to “avoid being outside in forested areas and around trees.”

Like all lake effect snowstorms, forecasting exact amounts is tricky because the snow bands are narrow and tend to wobble throughout the storm. The highest snow totals come where fickle bands of snow hover for hours.

The storm comes on top of the 6 to 10 inches that fell across parts of Upstate Friday night and the freezing rain that coated roads overnight Sunday. The North Country and Capital Region could still see more ice accumulation this morning.