WATERTOWN, N.Y. (AP) - More than 2 feet of blustery snow has fallen on parts of upstate New York’s largely rural Tug Hill Plateau and another 2 feet is possible through the weekend.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday he was dispatching 15 additional snow plows to the region east of Lake Ontario. The state also was sending equipment to hard-hit areas in western New York, east of Lake Erie.
The heavy snow in northern New York was coupled with fierce winds that reduced visibility and created high snow drifts.
“I’ve seen 5 feet of snow before. But this one, you couldn’t see across the street,” John Swinyer told The Associated Press from the Copenhagen Volunteer Fire Department house.
Swinyer, a volunteer firefighter, spent the night in the firehouse to help out and had to dig a path to get to his truck Friday morning.
“It’s another day in the North Country,” he said.
The National Weather Service has issued a series of watches, warnings and advisories associated with heavy, blowing snow around the state.
The low temperatures, strong winds and waves as high as 18 feet along Lake Erie left the sides of several homes encased in ice on Hoover Beach south of Buffalo, according to WGRZ.
“This storm has the potential to deliver significant accumulations and disrupt daily routines and I am urging New Yorkers in these areas to be prepared and limit unnecessary travel,” Cuomo said.
The Tug Hill Plateau is expected to get between 3 and 4 feet of snow by Sunday.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.