First Day of Winter Snow in the U.S. Air Force: Friday Afternoon Snow Warnings in Erie and Gaylord, Michigan
Travel bans along I-86 from the Pennsylvania state line to I-390 and other roadways went into effect Friday afternoon, with lake-effect snow warnings in effect across parts of New York through Monday. Kathy Hochul’s office advised residents that the state was “hazardous to impossible travel conditions because of reduced visibility and snow covered roads” in the west, central and northern parts of the state.
While parts of the country will see a not-so-wintery wonderland, rain and thunderstorms will fall in southern Texas and Florida. For this time of year, the rest of the country is expected to be dry with normal or above-normal temperatures.
Flights into and out of Erie International Airport were canceled Friday and its operating status was listed as “closed” as of 4:56 p.m. ET until 12 p.m. ET Saturday, according to the Federal Aviation Authority’s (FAA) National Airspace System. On Friday, more than 2,300 flights were delayed into, within and out of the United States.
A public service campaign by the U.S Department of Homeland Security also urged travelers in areas with heavy snow to “limit the time outdoors & avoid driving if possible.”
In the morning it is expected to be below freezing in the south, including northern parts of Florida, according to the NWS. The subfreezing temperatures can “kill crops and other sensitive vegetation as well as damage unprotected outdoor plumbing,” the NWS says.
Northeast parts of the country will see 30 to 40-degree temperatures while 20 and 30-degree temperatures will impact the Midwest. The upper Midwest and northern Plains will see wind chill values below zero, with South Dakota and North Carolina seeing wind chill values below -15 degrees.
Meanwhile steady winds that trained snow bands Friday on Gaylord, Michigan, dumped 24.8 inches (63 centimeters), setting a new single-day record for the city, which sits in a region dotted by ski resorts, said Keith Berger, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Gaylord office. The previous record of 17.0 inches (43 centimeters) was from March 9, 1942.
The snow happened when warm, moist air from a body of water mixes with cold dry air overhead. The National Weather Service says there are Bands of snow rolling off Lake Superior that are buried in the Upper Peninsula.
The heavy snow led to a state of emergency declaration in parts of New York and a disaster declaration in Pennsylvania, with officials warning of dangerous conditions for Thanksgiving travelers trying to return home.
Part of I-90 in Pennsylvania was closed, as were westbound lanes of the New York Thruway heading toward Pennsylvania. Nearly 2 feet (61 centimeters) of snow fell in parts of New York, Ohio and Michigan, and 29 inches (73 centimeters) was recorded in Pennsylvania’s northwestern tip.
Emergency responders and essential employees were the only ones who would be allowed to go on travel until further notice. The snow and slippery conditions resulted in vehicles getting stuck and blocking intersection and streets, as well as people being urged to shelter in place and allow crews to clear neighborhoods.
The lobby and hallways of the Holiday Inn near I-90 were used as a shelter by scores of people overnight. Hotel staffer Jeremiah Weatherley said dozens of people rolled in as the snow piled up, and workers opened the conference room and gave them blankets to sleep on the floor.
In Buffalo, officials with the NFL’s Bills asked people to sign up to shovel at the stadium this season, including the expected heavy snowfall ahead of Sunday night’s game against the San Francisco 49ers. The team said it would provide hot drinks and food for $20 an hour.
The Snowfall Down the West of Ironwood is Good News for Treetops Resort, a Ski Resort in the Big Surroundings
She said that there was 27 inches of snow just northeast of Ironwood in the western part of the Upper Peninsula. The eastern part of the peninsula has seen another 2 feet fall.
The snowfall was good news for Treetops Resort, which features 80 acres (32 hectares) of ski hill terrain among its 2,000 acres (809 hectares), said Doug Hoeh, the resort’s director of recreation. It boosted the base that snowmaking machines will be adding to in the coming days before the resort opens for the season next weekend.
“We’re digging out since it’s bad for the parking lots when you get that much snow, but it’s great for the snow hills,” he said. Natural snowfall certainly helps, as we are close to being able to pull thetrigger on skiing.