Jan Wesner Childs
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Nearly 5 feet of snow has been recorded in western New York, airlines are waiving change fees at some airports, and schools and businesses closed as parts of the upper Great Lakes are hammered by winter weather. Three people have died.
Two people died in Erie County, New York, while clearing snow. The deaths have been attributed to cardiac events related to exertion during snow removal. A third person died in Hamlet, Indiana, about 30 miles from Lake Michigan. The man was a snowplow driver who died when his plow slid off the road according to the Starke County Sherriff's Department.
Here is our coverage from Friday.
(6:21 p.m. ET) Snow Totals Near 5 Feet
Among the biggest snow totals tracked by the National Weather Service so far: 59 inches in Orchard Park; 51 inches in Hamburg; 48 inches in Blasdell and Elma.
(5:38 p.m. ET) No Travel Advisory Issued In Jefferson County
The sheriff in Jefferson County, which includes the community of Watertown and the U.S. Army's Fort Drum, is telling residents to stay home over the weekend due to expected hazardous conditions.
The advisory will remain in effect until a lake-effect snow warning that includes the area is lifted.
"For the safety of the public and the hard-working first responders and tow truck operators across our county, motorists are advised to avoid any travel unless absolutely necessary," a news release from the agency said.
(3:33 p.m. ET) Two Dead After Clearing Snow
"Unfortunately, we must report the passing of two Erie County residents - associated with cardiac events related to exertion during shoveling/snow blowing," Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz tweeted a few minutes ago. "We send our deepest sympathies and remind all that this snow is very heavy and dangerous."
About 100 people die during or right after shoveling snow in the U.S. every year. Those with heart problems and anyone over 40 and relatively inactive are among the groups especially at risk.
Poloncarz also reported that a building had partially collapsed in Hamburg due to the heavy weight of the snow.
(1:54 p.m. ET) Commercial Traffic Banned
New York State Police troopers are enforcing a ban on commercial traffic on parts of the NYS Thruway. Trucks and other commercial vehicles are currently not allowed on the thruway from Exit 46 to the Pennsylvania state line.
(1:31 p.m. ET) Residents Asked To Stay Home
"Snow is still coming down and creating dangerous road conditions in parts of Western New York," Gov. Kathy Hochul said in an early afternoon update. "Please stay home and avoid unnecessary travel so they can continue to do their jobs.
(1:12 p.m. ET) Airlines Offer Travel Flexibility
Southwest Airlines is waiving change fees for flights between now and Sunday through Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse. Delta has a similar offer. American is waiving change fees for those same airports as well as Albany, New York, and Burlington, Vermont.
More than half of all flights to or from Buffalo Niagara International Airport today have been canceled, according to airline tracker FlightAware.
(1:05 p.m. ET) Thousands Without Power
About 4,000 of the 155,000 New York Power and Gas Company customers in Erie County are without electricity.
That's down from a total of about 7,500 outages statewide a short time ago.
(12:41 p.m. ET) Highest Snow Totals So Far
The National Weather Service is reporting at least 37 inches of snow in Hamburg, which is in Erie County near Buffalo. Thirty-six inches was recorded in nearby Orchard Park and more than 24 inches in Wales, also in Erie County.
"If this band doesn’t move north anytime soon, we may be talking 4 to 5 feet in some of these areas,” weather.com senior meteorologist Chris Dolce said.
Read the latest forecast here.
(12:30 p.m. ET) Resident Describes Scene in Hamburg, New York
Hamburg resident Diane Ward Bartelo has lived through several major snowstorms in Buffalo, including the blizzard of '77
"This one is right up there," Bartelo told weather.com a short while ago.
She's documenting today's snowfall in photos and video on Twitter, including one that shows a patio table almost completely buried and another that shows snow continuing to pile up on her street.
"Currently it is a whiteout and I can hardly see the house across the street from me," she said.
(11:00 a.m. ET) State Of Emergency In 11 Counties
A state of emergency was issued for 11 counties on Thursday, ahead of the storm.
Those counties are: Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Jefferson, Lewis, Niagara, Oneida, Oswego, St. Lawrence, and Wyoming.
"This is considered an extreme event, an extreme weather event," Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a Thursday update. "That means it’s dangerous. It also means it’s life-threatening.”
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
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