Lake Snow Ends This Afternoon, Significant Winter Storm Likely This Weekend

JAMESTOWN – The National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a Winter Storm Watch for ALL for Western New York, going into effect 1 PM Saturday and running through 6 PM Monday for potentially heavy snow and sub-zero wind chills.

Weak pockets of lake effect snow have been falling across Western New York today. Those will go to bed for the day as the afternoon progresses.

I’m not expecting much, if any accumulation of those pockets. If there will be any accumulation, it will be less than an inch. No big deal there.

Even though there will be the possibility for a couple flurries in the air tomorrow, the day will be partly sunny but cold with temps still hanging into the 20s.

A system will scoot on by Thursday night and Friday with the potential for a couple inches of snow by Friday night. Once again, nothing of a big deal.

We are continuing to keep our eyes on this weekend as a possible major storm system will impact Western New York through early next week.

The center of circulation is still offshore deep in the Pacific and until the system makes it on land, there will still be some questions regarding the exact impacts and track this storm will take.

It does appear that there will be a line from the NY/PA border, through Western New York and into the Finger Lakes that could receive heavy snowfall from this system.

While we don’t feel comfortable giving out snow totals quite yet, this zone of heavy snow could be significant in nature. We should have a better idea on snow totals tomorrow as the system makes contact with the West Coast early on Thursday.

This system will also be accompanied by deep troughing in the Midwestern US. That will allow the Jet Stream and drag true Arctic Air across much of the CONUS.

Temps will take nosedive throughout the weekend with sub-zero lows likely by Monday morning and nasty wind chill values with a pretty heathy North/Northwest wind.

There is also the potential to mix in some lake effect on the back side of this system late Sunday into Monday as the winds drive across the relevantly ice-free waters of Lake Erie.

This is a very complicated storm system and things have been changing from model run to model run. We will keep you updated with all the latest as we continue to fine-tune this forecast through the next couple of days.