BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — As strong winds and lake effect snow impact the Western New York region, conditions will change rapidly. You can find the latest weather updates from the 7 Weather team here.
You can check the latest closings online here. You can check the latest NYSEG power outages here and National Grid power outages here.
Follow the latest updates on travel conditions and alerts below.
Wednesday, December 31, 2:30 p.m. update
The travel advisory in Chautauqua County will stay in effect through Thursday, January 1, at 7 a.m. due to lake effect snow impacting travel in select areas of the county.
Tuesday, December 30, 3:30 p.m. update
The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office has canceled the travel advisory for all of Orleans County.
“We continue to experience some wind and snow creating winter driving conditions,” Orleans County Sheriff’s Office said. “National Grid would like residents to know that they “Continue to restore power in treacherous conditions and to stay safe and avoid any downed wires- Please report an outage to Nation Grid.”
Tuesday, December 30, 3:10 p.m. update
The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office has canceled the travel advisory for all of Genesee County.
“Weather conditions throughout this week will continue to make travel difficult,” Genesee County Sheriff’s Office said. “Motorists are encouraged to drive with caution due to potential for blowing and drifting snow accumulation on roads.”
Tuesday, December 30, 12:45 p.m. update
The City of Buffalo announced the Skyway has reopened.
The empty tractor-trailer and tandem ban that was previously in effect for I-190 and I-90 (Thruway Authority Section from Exit 46 to the PA Line both east and west bound) has been lifted.
Tuesday, December 30, 9:30 a.m. update
The Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office issued a travel advisory for the county at 2:30 a.m. The sheriff’s office asked motorists to avoid unnecessary travel until further notice. If travel is necessary, motorists are asked to leave extra time to reach their destination.
Courts in Erie, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Niagara, and Wyoming Counties will be closed to the public on Tuesday and will operate virtually. Emergency matters will be handled virtually. Arraignments will continue to be handled in person.
Monday, December 29, 9:30 p.m. update
A travel advisory has been issued for all of Genesee County until further notice.
“Motorists are encouraged to avoid all unnecessary travel due to the expected strong winds, locally heavy snow and reduced visibility,” Genesee County Sheriff’s Office said. “These conditions will undoubtedly create treacherous travel for all motorists. A trip which could wait should not be made until the advisory is lifted,” the Sheriff’s Office said. “The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office does not determine the necessity for any individual to report to work.”
The Sheriff’s Office reminds motorists that traffic signals that are not working are to be treated as a four-way stop.
Monday, December 29, 8 p.m. update
Winds whipped through the region on Monday, and below are some of the sights and sounds from across Western New York.
7 News reporter Michael Schwartz was in Hamburg, where winds whipped up massive waves along the Lake Erie shoreline.
7 News Senior Reporter Eileen Buckley was in the Northtowns and Niagara County, where the wind toppled trees and power lines.
7 News Senior Reporter Maki Becker checked in on Chautauqua and Cattaraugus Counties, where winds toppled trees, but the snow was eagerly anticipated by ski resort operators.
Monday, December 29, 5 p.m. update
Governor Kathy Hochul has expanded the State of Emergency in response to the lake effect and high winds across parts of the state. The governor’s office also said non-essential state employees who live or work in Erie, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Niagara, Wyoming, Oswego, Cayuga, Onondaga, Cortland, Madison, Wayne, Jefferson, Lewis and Oneida Counties are directed to telecommute on Tuesday, where possible.
Monday, December 29, 4:30 p.m. update
National Grid said it has deployed more than 3,300 line, tree, and public safety specialists to assess damage, clean up debris and restore power to customers in Upstate New York through Wednesday. As of 3 p.m. on Monday, it has restored service to more than 70,800 of the over 112,300 customers affected by the storm.
It will hold a dry ice and bottled water distribution on December 30 from 1 to 5 p.m. at the following locations:
National Grid said customers are asked to bring a cooler or paper grocery bags to transport dry ice to their homes. It will provide information about proper handling.
Buffalo Harbor Cruises shared the following photos of the Miss Buffalo II, which show how much the river rose between Sunday and Monday afternoon due to the high winds.
Monday, December 29, 3:30 p.m. update
A travel advisory has been issued for all of Chautauqua County from 3 p.m. Monday to 7 a.m. on Thursday.
“Conditions are deteriorating quickly, and travel is becoming increasingly dangerous,” said Chautauqua County Executive Paul M. Wendel Jr. “If you do not need to be on the roads, please stay home. Staying off the roads helps protect you and allows plow crews, law enforcement, and emergency responders to operate safely.”
“Whiteout conditions can develop in minutes, even on roads that were recently plowed,” said Chautauqua County Sheriff James Quattrone. “We are asking motorists to slow down, increase following distance, and give snowplows and emergency vehicles the space they need to do their jobs.”
The City of Dunkirk Police Department, in cooperation with the Mayor’s Office, DPW, and DFD, issued a travel advisory until further notice. Non-essential travel is strongly discouraged.
Monday, December 29, 2 p.m. update
A precautionary travel advisory is in effect for North Tonawanda until midnight due to high winds and periods of reduced visibility, including localized whiteout conditions. Motorists should use caution and avoid unnecessary travel when possible.
North Tonawanda City Hall will close early Monday and reopen Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. The North Tonawanda Senior Center will also be closed.
The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office has issued a travel advisory, effective immediately, due to unsafe conditions and extreme winds throughout the county. Motorists should travel only if necessary and use extreme caution.
Monday, December 29, 1:30 p.m. update
As the wind continues to whip, it is causing debris to pile up at Canalside in Buffalo. You can watch the video we gathered this afternoon below.
Monday, December 29, 1 p.m. update
Courts in Erie, Cattaraugus, and Chautauqua Counties will be closed to the public at 1:30 p.m. on Monday. Emergency matters will be handled virtually.
The North Tonawanda DMV office is closed for the remainder of Monday; transactions are being processed at Lockport, Niagara Falls offices.
Explore & More will close at 3 p.m. on Monday.
Non-essential University at Buffalo employees working on campus have been advised to leave and complete their workday through telecommuting where possible. The university said employees who have received notice of their designation as Level 1 employees (formerly called essential employees) should report to work as scheduled or as otherwise directed by their supervisor. UB has also canceled all classes and activities on all campuses for today.
Monday, December 29, noon update
Powerful winds are causing massive waves along the Lake Erie shoreline. This was the scene outside of Hoak’s in Hamburg around noon on Monday.
Hamburg police said the BMW in the parking lot with its windows open was stolen from Buffalo, and Buffalo police were notifying the owner.
Monday, December 29, 11 a.m. update
Buffalo City Hall will close at 11:30 a.m. “to ensure the safety of employees and the public.”
In addition, all Erie County office buildings will be closed at 1:30 a.m. Officials said all non-essential employees will be released for the day at that time
“This is being done out of an abundance of caution with the expectation of the worst of the storm hitting the metro Buffalo area starting at 1 PM through 5 PM,” Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said in a Facebook post.
Monday, December 29, 10:45 a.m. update
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz issued a Travel Advisory for all of Erie County as of 11 a.m. on Monday. Officials said residents are advised to avoid travel if possible. If you need to travel, make sure your vehicle is prepared for winter driving and has a winter survival kit.
Monday, December 29, 10:30 a.m. update
The final nights of the Fairgrounds Festival of Lights, on December 29 and December 30, have been canceled due to forecasted weather conditions. Organizers said all ticket holders for the two days will receive an automatic refund and no action is required.
Monday, December 29, 9:30 a.m. update
The City of Buffalo issued a travel advisory due to the deteriorating winter weather conditions. City officials said residents should avoid unnecessary travel and use caution if travel is required.
The Buffalo Skyway closed at 6 a.m. due to high winds. City of Buffalo officials said the closure will be in place until further notice.
As of 6 a.m., and until further notice, an empty tractor-trailer and tandem ban is in effect for the following roadways:
Thruway
DOT Highways
We want to hear what’s going on in your community. Share your voice and hear from your neighbors.
