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Lake Effect Event-Buffalo Bills Playoff Game Impacts


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.SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
...Powerful Storm WIll Impact the Region This Weekend with VERY
STRONG Winds and SIGNIFICANT Lake Effect Snows...

An anomalously strong (around 974 mb) surface low will be in the
midst of passing northwest of the area Saturday. It`s associated
occluded front will lie across the Genesee Valley early Saturday
morning and finish its eastward path into New England throughout the
rest of the morning and into the afternoon. In the wake of the
frontal passage, the coldest airmass of the season will begin to
pour into the region Saturday morning, transitioning the rain to
snow across the western Southern Tier. Additionally, winds will
shift from southeasterly to southwesterly behind the front and
support widespread wind gusts up to 65 mph through the corridor
from Buffalo to Rochester and 50 to 60 mph gusts likely elsewhere
across WNY.

Temperatures will continue to drop throughout the day Saturday,
first across WNY followed by the Genesee Valley and north central NY
as the front and cold air advection makes its way eastward. By
Saturday evening, most of western and north central NY will see
temperatures near or just below freezing. As the synoptic moisture
lifts off to the northeast Saturday afternoon, heavy lake effect
snow will begin to intensify downwind of the lakes as the bitter
cold air spills across the region.

Heading into Saturday night through Sunday night, plenty of
lingering synoptic moisture and a saturated DGZ will support lake
effect snows to ramp up east of Lakes Erie and Ontario. While the
exact location of the band set up still remains questionable, there
a fair amount of confidence that the band will not have a long
residency time across on area for a long period of time. This being
said, the band will wander across the areas east of Lake Ontario
supporting some time where the band will lie across both the Buffalo
and Watertown metros at some point this weekend. Additionally, there
remains good confidence that with the heavy lake effect snow
combined with a continuation of strong winds will result in
considerable blowing and drifting snow, creating considerable
impacts for the areas east of both Lakes Erie and Ontario.
Travel in lake effect bands will be extremely difficult, to
impossible at times. Did not upgrade the Winter Storm Watch due
to uncertainty in wind direction and the location of lake snow
bands, but it remains in effect from Saturday afternoon through
Monday morning.

It will become much colder with lows in the mid teen to lower 20s
Saturday night, highs Sunday in the upper teens across the higher
terrain and low to mid 20s elsewhere and lows Sunday night in the
upper single digits across the higher terrain and low to mid teens
elsewhere. These colder temperatures combined with the winds will
support wind chill values to primarily range in the single digits
with a few low teens across the northern Finger Lakes.

By Monday, a deep cut off low over southern Hudson Bay will slowly
weaken and retrograde west back into northern Ontario. Overall this
will support cold cyclonic flow to continue to filter across the
region and support the lake effect snow to persist east of both
lakes Monday. Similar to the weekend, temperatures will continue to
be cold with highs ranging in the upper teens to low 20s.
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...WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH MONDAY MORNING...

* WHAT...Heavy lake effect snow possible. Total snow
accumulations of more than a foot possible in the most
persistent lake snows. Winds could gust as high as 65 mph
Saturday and Saturday evening, with somewhat lower winds then
expected through the bulk of the lake effect snow event.

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Point and click 

Saturday
A chance of rain and snow showers before 9am, then snow showers. Areas of blowing snow after noon. Temperature falling to around 30 by 2pm. Windy, with a southwest wind 25 to 30 mph increasing to 32 to 37 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 65 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.
Saturday Night
Snow. The snow could be heavy at times. Areas of blowing snow. Low around 22. Windy, with a southwest wind 28 to 36 mph, with gusts as high as 60 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 8 to 12 inches possible.
Sunday
Snow before 7am, then a chance of snow showers between 7am and 10am, then snow after 10am. The snow could be heavy at times. Areas of blowing snow after 10am. High near 24. Breezy, with a southwest wind 26 to 29 mph, with gusts as high as 44 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
Sunday Night
Snow. The snow could be heavy at times. Areas of blowing snow. Low around 14. Breezy, with a west wind 22 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 41 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
M.L.King Day
Snow. High near 20. Breezy, with a southwest wind 17 to 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Monday Night
A chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with a low around 13. Southwest wind 9 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
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Heard rumors that they might be moving the game to Cleveland? Would be a bummer, though I also can't imagine the logistical nightmare of trying to get a sell out playoff crowd out of a stadium with roads impassable

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1 minute ago, Newman said:

Heard rumors that they might be moving the game to Cleveland? Would be a bummer, though I also can't imagine the logistical nightmare of trying to get a sell out playoff crowd out of a stadium with roads impassable

Getting to be late in the game, no pun intended, to move the game now. 

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Buffalo NWS went big. 1-3 feet of snow, wind gust 65 mph. Blizzard part 2 

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM SATURDAY TO 1 PM EST
MONDAY...

* WHAT...Heavy lake effect snow and strong winds expected. Total
  snow accumulations of 1 to 3 feet in the most persistent lake
  snows. Winds gusting as high as 60 mph. The strongest winds
  will be Saturday into Sunday. Blizzard conditions will be
  possible at times, especially Saturday night and Sunday.

* WHERE...The Eastern Lake Ontario Region.

* WHEN...From 4 PM Saturday to 1 PM EST Monday.

* IMPACTS...Travel will be very difficult to impossible.
  Widespread blowing snow will significantly reduce visibility.
  Strong winds could cause tree damage.
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45 minutes ago, CNY_WX said:

The temperature of Lake Erie is anomalously warm for this time of year.  With very cold 850 temperatures that could produce extremely heavy snowfall rates that could be over the stadium at game time. 

Latest Lake Temperatures
 

937 AM EST Fri Jan 12 2024 The water temperature off Buffalo is 41 degrees.

 

 

The record high lake erie temp for the date is 40, so we have record high lake temps for this date. 

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47 minutes ago, Newman said:

Heard rumors that they might be moving the game to Cleveland? Would be a bummer, though I also can't imagine the logistical nightmare of trying to get a sell out playoff crowd out of a stadium with roads impassable

Those rumors weren't true. I could see it being moved to Monday, but no chance they change cities. I can't wait to go, gonna be absolutely insane. 

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Another event coming later this week with multiple feet of snow 

Arctic air pouring over the Lakes behind the mid level shortwave
Wednesday and Thursday will generate again bands of lake effect
snow, that could become heavy at times. Multiple feet of snow is
possible with this second half of the week event, especially east of
Lake Ontario. Oscillating bands of lake effect snow may just very
well continue until the end of the forecast period.
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1 minute ago, BuffaloWeather said:

They moved the game to Monday at 430. Driving ban goes into affect tonight for all of erie county at 9 pm

Is the snow gonna be gone by Monday? The lakes are on fire right now.

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4 minutes ago, KPITSnow said:

And you know what’s even more dangerous than the snow. Having 60k fans out in -30 degree wind chills. Not postponing that one thought

Different situation. That one increases home field advantage rather than leveling the playing field for a heavy road underdog, so it’s all cool.

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It's about public safety. It takes a thousand workers to run an NFL game. I've seen behind the scenes It's crazy the amount of people they have. 1-2 ft of snow and 60-70 mph gusts is down right dangerous. It sucks but they made the right call. 

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59 minutes ago, Burghblizz said:

I think it’s the right call. But it could have been made a day ago. 

I agree, traffic after one of the events is a nightmare in good weather. Can you imagine how many people would get stuck? 3ft snow and 65mph winds, cars might be drifted over in the lot. You know there'd be some contingent of woefully unprepared fans too. 

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