Parts of Upstate NY could see feet of lake effect snow, snarling post-Thanksgiving travel

Syracuse, N.Y. — Heavy lake effect bands could dump several inches – and even feet – of snow in parts of Western New York and across the Tug Hill plateau today through Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

In Central New York, including Syracuse, most communities will barely see an inch or two over the weekend, according to this morning’s forecast.

But for areas south of Buffalo to the Pennsylvania line, and in the communities around Watertown, the winds and colder temperatures could whip up snow from the Great Lakes and deposit so much that travel could become dangerous and impossible, the service says.

In effected areas, the snow is expected to start today (Friday) and get heavier Saturday into Sunday.

Forecasting this system remains difficult, according to the weather service.

That means as of 5 a.m. Friday, the snow fall projected for specific communities included wide ranges. Consider these forecasts for today through early Monday:

• Dunkirk could get 29 to 47 inches
• Jamestown could get 9 to 17 inches
• Pulaski could get 8 to 16 inches
• Lowville could get 11 to 21 inches

And Watertown could get 49 to 64 inches – more than 5 feet of snow by Monday.

To get a more precise forecast for your area, use this link and enter your zip code or city.

The snow is expected to create poor visibility and dangerous travel conditions on parts of the state Thruway and Interstate 81.

More specifically, these stretches of roads could see the worst of the snow:

• NY Thruway from Ripley to Eden/Angola exits
• I-81 from Mannsville to Watertown
• I-86 PA state line to Salamanca

This map shows the forecast for Friday through 6 a.m. Saturday:

There are lake effect snow warnings for several New York counties through Monday morning, including:

• Allegany
• Cattaraugus
• Chautauqua
• Erie, southern portions
• Jefferson
• Lewis
• Oswego
• Wyoming

That warning means difficult travel with hazardous conditions. Heavy snow can fall in relatively narrow bands. If traveling, be prepared for rapidly changing road conditions and visibilities.

So what does that mean for Orchard Park, where the Buffalo Bills are scheduled to play the San Francisco 49ers at 8:20 p.m. Sunday?

Today, 1 to 3 inches is forecast to fall in Orchard Park, according to the weather service.

On Saturday, another 8 to 12 inches could fall.

Then, Saturday night, another 10 to 16 inches is possible.

That’s a total of 19 to 31 inches.

“We can’t control the weather,” Bills Coach Sean McDermott said Wednesday.

But he also noted that in past Buffalo storms, whether it’s 1 feet or 7 feet of snow, the roads can get cleared.

“Credit to all the people who are out there working,” he said. “What a phenomenal job they do.”

Still, the snow could keep falling and there could even be snow thunder. The weather service hasn’t estimated yet how much additional snow may fall Sunday and Sunday night.

Central New York is not completely out of the woods. Places south of Syracuse — from Cortland County east to Hamilton and into Cooperstown — could see squalls at times this afternoon.