Lake-Effect Snow Winding Down

December has started off on a snowy note for many down wind of the Great Lakes as several days of lake-effect snow have produced feet of snow in some areas. 

The lake-effect snow will wind down today into Saturday, providing at least a temporary break from Old Man Winter before a quick-moving low pressure system returns snow chances for some later Saturday into Sunday. 

Additional snow amounts of 3 to 7 inches will be possible through Saturday morning across portions of northwestern Pennsylvania into southwestern New York, as well as east of Lake Ontario in New York. Localized snow amounts of 10 to 15 inches will be possible in the Tughill Plateau in more persistent bands of snow. 

A couple of inches of fresh snow will also be possible over the higher elevations of southwestern Pennsylvania into West Virginia, as well as over the higher elevations of western Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire. 

Winter Weather Warnings and Advisories and Lake-Effect Snow Warnings remain in place across far northeastern Ohio, northwestern Pennsylvania, and western New York. 

It will also remain breezy throughout the region today, causing the fresh snow to blow and drift. Wind gusts of 25 to 30 mph will be common, while localized wind gusts of 35 to 40 mph will be possible near the lakeshore and over the higher elevations. Blowing snow will significantly reduce visibility at times, with near-blizzard conditions possible.

As the lake-effect machine winds down on Saturday, a fast-moving clipper system will move across the Great Lakes later Saturday into Sunday. This will cause another round of mainly lighter snow to develop later Saturday afternoon and evening across northwestern Pennsylvania and northern and western New York. Snow will continue to spread eastward through New England into Sunday where 1 to 4 inches of snow will be possible, especially across Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. 

If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case of emergency. Be sure to have multiple ways to get the latest weather information from local TV, weather radio, or the WeatherBug app. With bitterly cold air in place, it is the time to check on the elderly, keep pets inside and dress in as many layers as possible to avoid hypothermia.