Record Snow Blankets the Great Lakes

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Many New Yorkers are digging out today as lake effect snow continues to blanket the area. A meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Buffalo, told ABC-11 today that up to six feet is expected. As much as 2 to 4 inches an hour fell Tuesday in western New York, making clean up difficult.

More than 120 accidents jammed up local roads today in Erie County, NY, forcing officials to issue a state of emergency and a travel ban on several roads. Portions of Interstate 90 are still closed to traffic, and hundreds of cars are stranded.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for a few counties in Michigan through 9 o'clock Tuesday night. Lake Effect Snow Warnings are in effect through Wednesday afternoon in western New York.

Temperatures have also been brutal, with highs today across the Midwest and Great Lakes in the teens and 20s. Wind chill values have been in the negative range in many states. Temperatures are expected to warm up late this weekend.