An intense freezing spray transformed lakefront buildings into icy fortresses as a powerful bomb cyclone blasted western New York in the days before Christmas.
Published Dec 26, 2022 3:58 PM EST | Updated Dec 26, 2022 3:58 PM EST
A spectacular phenomenon was showcased along the shores of Lake Erie over the weekend as a blizzard with howling winds and extreme cold impacted the area.
Lakefront homes in Hamburg, New York, located about 12 miles south of Buffalo, were encased in ice, giving them a stunning ice sculpture appearance. Icicles several feet long could be seen taking over anything exposed to the elements such as roofs, fences and outdoor furniture. Entire homes and cars were covered in a thick layers of ice.
A weather station in nearby Watertown, New York, recorded wind gusts over 60 mph on Friday, later topping out at 63 mph on Friday night. The intense wind paired with sub-freezing temperatures helped these ice sculptures form scenes that almost appear otherworldly.
A sheet of ice cakes this home in Hamburg, New York, after freezing spray impacted coastal buildings. (@weather_buffalo via Storyful)
The winter storm initially began as a rain event in Buffalo, with nearly 2 inches reported on Friday. The arctic air ushered into the area early on Friday, causing temperatures to plummet and the rain to change to heavy snow.
As the winter storm progressed, massive waves impacted Western New York during the arctic cold, causing freezing spray from Lake Erie to coat nearby homes and buildings. Freezing spray occurs when waves crash ashore and strong winds blow the cold lake water onto nearby objects. The cold air then causes the water to freeze, forming a thick layer of ice. During the icing event in Hamburg, the constant wind made some of the gigantic icicles to form at an angle rather than pointing straight down.
Buffalo Niagara International Airport received 22.3 inches of snow on Friday alone, followed by nearly 18 inches on Saturday. As of Monday morning, the airport has reported 43 inches of total snow since the storm began.
A blizzard warning was in effect for the Buffalo metro area throughout the weekend but was allowed to expire on Sunday morning.
Events like this have happened in years past, such as in February 2020, when Hamburg was again the site of this stunning ice transformation. In 2019, strong winds that had also caused "ice tsunamis" splashed lakefront houses in Pulaski, New York. Two years earlier, an "ice house" was found in West Webster, New York, on the shore of Lake Ontario.
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