New York State: Nearly 2 meters of snow fell during historic storm

This was a historic blizzard experienced by residents of western New York, USA. In the Buffalo area, almost two meters of snow fell in places in 24 hours from Friday to Saturday. However, accustomed to this type of meteorological phenomena, the authorities were surprised by their intensity. The storm produced “much more than we normally get,” Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown told CNN on Saturday.

The city, located on the border with Canada, is especially close to Toronto and the Great Lakes on the east side. The meeting of the warm waters contained in it, combined with the mass of cold air, intensified the phenomenon. Post-storm images shared widely on social media reveal a surreal landscape. The streets are deserted, the roofs of houses are weighed down with several tens of centimeters of snow.

Power outages, traffic disruptions, closed roads… The storm caused a lot of inconvenience to the locals. Thus, the New York Times reported that about 300 people were saved in the region, and another 1,600 people were left without electricity.

Two people died while clearing snow

“Visibility has been reduced to a few hundred feet and roads are covered in snow,” the Buffalo National Weather Service tweeted. Stay put, if you can, for the next few hours as this strip of snow passes on its way to the Boston Hills and South.” In the pictures, the lights of a city drowning in a storm are barely distinguishable, and the cars are already covered with a layer of snow.

“We believe we will make history if we get the most snow here in New York State in 24 hours,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said at a news conference broadcast by US media on Saturday. This has never happened before.”

Unfortunately, while trying to clear the snow with shovels, two people from Erie County died of heart complications. “We express our deepest condolences and remind everyone that this snow is very heavy and dangerous,” wrote Erie County Executive Mark Poloncartz.

Schools closed in Buffalo on Monday

Despite the reopening of several highways, the Governor continues to call for caution this Sunday. Wind gusts from 60 to 80 km/h, moving snow in places can make it difficult for a car to pass and make it dangerous.

The following night, another snowfall, less intense, should fall. Municipal services have already announced that schools in the city of Buffalo will remain closed on Monday. “All students and staff must stay at home. Safety is our main concern. Please stay warm and stay safe,” the tweet read.