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The potentially historic winter storm ravaging western New York state has not only brought the prospects of multiple feet of snow to the Buffalo area, but has been putting on a rare display of ‘thundersnow’ for residents.
Terrifying drone footage has shown the spectacular event as it rolled into Buffalo – which has been pounded by heavy snowfall – with thunder and lightning causing ‘near zero visibility.’
The footage shows the drone panning across the city area as the lightning and ominous clouds turn the cityscape apocalyptic.
Cars appeared to still be on the roads at the time of the surreal time-lapse, but a warning has been released that the incoming weather will make travel near to impossible.
Thundersnow storms are similar to summer thunderstorms but bring snow instead of rain.
They usually occur during lake effect storms in the early winter when warmer air from the lakes mingles with colder storm clouds.
The potentially historic winter storm ravaging western New York state has not only brought the prospects of multiple feet of snow to the Buffalo, but has been putting on a rare display
Terrifying drone footage has shown the spectacular event as it rolled into the city – which has been pounded by heavy snowfall – with thunder and lightning causing ‘near zero visibility’
The footage shows the drone panning across the city area as the lightning and ominous clouds turn the cityscape apocalyptic
Cars appeared to still be on the roads at the time of the surreal time-lapse, but a warning has since been released that the incoming weather could make travel near to impossible
The Buffalo storm air coming off Lake Erie – which still hovers around 52 degrees – collided with cold blizzard clouds and created electrical charges that burst into lightning and thunder.
Buffalo was buried by three inches of the white stuff, with the National Weather Service warning that there could be historic levels of up to four inches.
Other areas are being affected by the arctic snowstorm, with as much as four feet of snow predicted to fall by Sunday.
Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency in preparation for the storm, which she characterized as ‘life-threatening.’
The National Weather Service said: ‘The snowfall will produce near zero visibility, difficult to impossible travel, damage to infrastructure, and paralyze the hardest-hit communities.
‘Very cold air will accompany this event, with temperatures 20 degrees below normal forecast by the weekend. Historic snowfall exceeding 4 feet is likely around Buffalo.’
A man could be seen shoveling snow after the snowstorm and extreme winter weather hit Buffalo, New York
Trucks with plows attached started emerging on the street following the bitter weather conditions
Homes were caked with white powder after Buffalo experienced a huge dump of snow overnight
Residents in Buffalo started trying to shift the piles of snow that had been blocking their homes amid a countywide travel ban for safety
Snow covered everything from homes to trees lining the streets and will continue to blanket the city until Sunday
The Lake effect snow warning remains in effect until 1pm on Sunday with totals from 2 to 4 feet of snow predicted to accumulate.
South Buffalo to West Seneca to Elma are at risk of the highest totals while the heaviest snow is expected to fall Friday night when snowfall rates could exceed 3 inches per hour.
Wind gusts have been predicted to get as high as 35 mph and is expected to produce patchy blowing snow.
The National Weather Service has warned that travel will be very difficult to impossible during this time and that hazardous conditions will impact the commute Friday evening.
‘The heavy snow could also bring down some tree limbs and cause scattered power outages,’ they added.
With the snowstorm hammering down on Buffalo, the Bills had to forego their practice on Friday ahead of their game against the Cleveland Browns due to massive amounts of snow.
Just south of Buffalo residents were hit with extreme snow with between 18 to 24 inches falling near Hamburg
Residents were seen using snowblower’s to dig out their homes and driveways after the intense lake-effect snowstorm
Pets were enjoying the colder weather seen playing in the icy cold mounds sitting in residents front yards
This Norwegian Elkhound could be seen hidden in a mound of snow as Buffalo and surrounding suburbs took on the four feet of accumulation
The Bills announced that their Friday practice had been cancelled but they would meet virtually instead.
On Thursday, the NFL announced that Sunday’s game will be moved from Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, to Ford Field in Detroit.
Buffalo is expected to receive up to four feet of snow between Thursday and Sunday.
‘Due to public safety concerns and out of an abundance of caution in light of the ongoing weather emergency in western New York, Sunday’s Cleveland Browns-Buffalo Bills game will be moved to Ford Field in Detroit at 1 p.m. ET,’ the NFL said.
‘The decision to move the game from Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, was done in consultation with the Buffalo Bills and local and state authorities as the region prepares for the storm.’
The Bills tweeted a weather map on Friday afternoon with the caption ‘brb going outside to shovel’ just a few hours later posting pictures of a snow-covered Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo and the surrounding areas turned into a winter wonderland overnight but the huge blanket of snow has caused residents to stay inside unless completely necessary
The only residents seen outside were seen trying to dig out their drives but will likely be doing this till after the weekend
The snow completely covered Buffalo and surrounding areas like here in Hamburg and saw the cancelation of the Bills practice on Friday
As residents dug out the Bills tweeted a weather map on Friday afternoon with the caption ‘brb going outside to shovel’ later posting pictures of a snow-covered Highmark Stadium
The pictures show mountains of powdery snow caked onto seats in the stadium as well as at the goal posts.
With Sunday’s game against the Browns being played in Detroit, the Bills will play two games in five days at Ford Field, as they are scheduled to play the Lions on Thanksgiving in Detroit.
‘[Coach] Sean [McDermott] does a great job of messaging and making sure our guys understand it’s still going to be a football game,’ Bills general manager Brandon Beane said to ESPN.
‘Everything else is the same. It’s a short flight. We’re going to try to keep it as routine as possible. Is it a little disruption? Yes. But I think our guys are pros. They understand it.’
The Bills are expected to return to Buffalo following the game against Cleveland before returning for their Thanksgiving game against the Lions.
Six million people in five Great Lakes states, from Wisconsin to New York, have been put under snow alerts from Friday.
A vehicle drives with snow on the roof during a snowstorm as extreme winter weather hits Buffalo
Residents walk on the street during a snowstorm as extreme winter weather hits Buffalo
Emergency crews transport an ill patient during the chilly weather
Buffalo Fire Department personnel pulled an ill woman on a sled
Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency in preparation for the storm, which she characterized as ‘life-threatening.’
South Buffalo to West Seneca to Elma are at risk of the highest totals while the heaviest snow is expected to fall Friday night when snowfall rates could exceed 3 inches per hour
Areas east of Lakes Erie and Ontario could see snowfall at a rate of more than three inches per hour, with gusty winds and lightning also slamming the areas.
The storm’s most intense snow is expected to lash the Buffalo area, where more than 4 feet could pile, making for a forecast not seen in more than 20 years.
The city’s highest three-day snowfall is 56.1 inches, which occurred in December 2001
Residents in Williamstown, Oswego County, had 24 inches of snow on Thursday evening and Oneida County saw 14 inches of the white stuff.
Other areas affected by the storm include parts of the Upper Peninsula and the western Lower Peninsula of Michigan, where gusty winds and heavy snow will also cause near zero visibility and unsafe travel conditions.
As the snow started falling Thursday evening, residents in upstate New York began posting videos online of lightning flashing across the sky and thunder booming through the night.
‘THUNDERSNOW!!!!!!’ declared one in a video that showed a snow-covered neighborhood decked out in Christmas decor as thunder sounded.
A reporter for Spectrum News1, Kevin Hayes, posted a video from a last-minute trip to a Wegmans supermarket in Hamburg, New York.
The video captured a flash of lightning as snow poured down across the supermarket’s parking lot, with a roll of thunder close on its heels.
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