
Lake Effect Snow Warning Issued for Central New York: Up to 3 Feet of Snow Possible
Looks like Mother Nature had a change of plans on how to ring in 2025.
The National Weather Service has cancelled the Winter Storm Watch for Central New York to replace it with a more serious alert that has upped snowfall totals across the region.
The NWS has recently issued Lake Effect Snow Warning that will last through the weekend.
The service says the advisory will activate at 1pm Wednesday, January 1, and will remain in effect through 4pm Sunday, January 5.
This weather alert encompasses all of Oneida, Madison, Herkimer, Cayuga, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis, Oswego, and Onondaga County.
The areas likely to get wholloped are all in North Country, with the NWS saying places like Lowville could see between 2 to 3 feet of snow.
The higher elevations could potentially see even more snow.
Meanwhile, Northern Oneida, Onondaga, and Madison County could see over 2 feet of snow by the time this prolonged weather event finishes with us.
The only area under the Lake Effect Snow Warning looking to see less than a foot of snow is southern Cayuga County, with the NWS saying localized snow accumulations by Sunday could be between 6 to 12 inches.
The agency says Herkimer and Hamilton County will see about the same amount of snow.
IIn addition to the snow, the NWS warns of whipping winds of up to 45 miles per hour that could imitate blizzard-like conditions and create impossible travel conditions.
Motorists who must be on the road are strongly advised to plan ahead, decrease their speeds, and increase their follow distances.
If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency.
Drivers can also dial 511 to hear the latest road conditions.
Read More: Check Road Conditions Anywhere in New York
The NWS says during this time, bands of lake effect snow can cause whiteout conditions and drop visibilities to nothing. It can also cause the roads to become slippery.
What makes this situation more dangerous is that lake effect snow conditions can change rapidly, so motorists are urged to prepare in case the weather switches for the worse.
Adding insult to injury will be a cold blast of air that will cause temperatures to plummet into the teens and possibly the single digits by Sunday.
The good news is, if you'd want to call it that, this could reduce the chances of us having to shovel heavy, wet snow.
That all said, what an interesting way to ring in the New Year. Who would have thought 2025 would start out with 5 days straight of lake effect snow?
Just know that this might be the beginning of a very rough month because weather watchers are already tracking a potential blizzard sometime within the second week of January.
WIBX will chat with Ray Stagich of The Weather Channel when the weather models develop more confidence about this potential blizzard.
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