Winter weather update as "formidable" lake effect snow expected

The National Weather Service (NWS) is warning travelers that "formidable" lake effect snow is likely to cause disruptions for many over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

The NWS Weather Prediction Center said on Tuesday that there was an increased chance "for heavy snow across the Great Lakes" from Friday to Monday, especially in areas near Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, while sharing tips for dealing with the "Thanksgiving weekend arctic blast" in a post to X, formerly Twitter.

"Formidable lake-effect snow bands and snow showers will develop east and southeast of the Great Lakes, resulting in significant accumulations and drifting snow in the hardest hit areas," the prediction center's post states.

"Travel disruptions are likely, especially on I-90 between Cleveland and Buffalo and 1-81 north of Syracuse," it continues. "Travel could be very difficult to impossible in the hardest hit areas. Forecast accumulations will become more clear as the event approaches."

A winter storm watch is in place from Friday afternoon until Monday in large parts of western New York state and parts of central and northern New York state that border the eastern shore of Lake Ontario, according to the NWS office in Buffalo.

NWS advised travelers to "be prepared for rapid changes in weather, visibility, and road conditions," while noting that heavy lake effect snow can deliver "greatly reduced visibilities to dry conditions just a few miles away."

"Keep an eye on the weather NY!" a Tuesday X post from the New York State Department of Transportation reads. "We're watching a storm that could impact Thanksgiving Day travel followed by the potential for weekend lake effect snow for areas South of Buffalo & the Tug Hill Region."

NWS meteorologist David Thomas told Newsweek that it was not entirely clear which roads will be affected in central and northern New York, although the storm could strike near Interstates 81 and 86. Thomas said that snowfall rates may be more than plows can handle, at up to 2 inches per hour.

Outside New York, a dangerous cold snap caused by "the first significant Arctic outbreak of the season" was expected to hit the northern Great Plains region and the Midwest beginning on Friday, with temperatures expected to plunge to their coldest since February.

Wind chills could trigger temperatures to plummet to as low as negative 40 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas of the Dakotas. NWS urged locals to travel with a survival kit while warning of "an increased risk of hypothermia, and frostbite on exposed skin."

NWS winter storm warnings are already in effect this week in California, Utah, Idaho, Colorado and Wyoming. Snowfall of several feet is expected in some areas. A record-breaking 80 million Americans are expected to travel over the Thanksgiving weekend despite the storms, according to the AAA.