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Blizzard, storm warnings issued for Rochester region. What to expect over holiday weekend

Victoria E. Freile, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
·4 min read

Bundle up and hold on tight, Santa. This Christmas weekend is expected to bring whipping winds, bitter cold temperatures and heavy lake effect snow to parts of western New York, including the Rochester region.

Bob Hamilton, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Buffalo, said that while the predicted snow and cold temperatures will be a nuisance, "the wind will be the big deal," as gusts around or exceeding 65 mph are expected.

Blizzard warning, storm warnings issued for Rochester NY region

The Weather Service has issued several weather alerts for the Rochester and Buffalo areas over the weekend, including:

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  • Blizzard warning issued for Niagara, Orleans, Erie, and Genesee counties in effect from Friday morning to Sunday morning. Blizzard conditions expected. Total snow accumulations of 1 to 3 feet. Winds gusting as high as 70 mph Friday and Friday night. A rapid switch from rain to snow with sharply falling temperatures into the teens and single digits will result in a flash freeze on Friday. Blizzard conditions will develop Friday afternoon lasting into Saturday night.

  • Winter storm warning issued for Monroe County in effect from Friday morning to Sunday morning. Heavy snow and strong winds expected. Total snow accumulations of 6 to 10 inches. Winds gusting as high as 60mph. A rapid switch from rain to snow with sharply falling temperatures into the teens and single digits will result in a flash freeze on Friday. From Friday afternoon through most of the weekend, very strong winds, lake effect snow, and blowing snow will produce localized blizzard conditions. Greatest snow accumulation across western portions of the county.

  • Winter weather advisory issued for Wayne, Ontario counties

  • Wind chill warning issued for Steuben County

  • Other alerts from the National Weather Service in Buffalo

Temperatures are expected to rapidly drop into the teens on Friday across western New York, then strong, high winds are predicted to pick up by Friday evening and continue through most of the weekend. The warnings, watches and advisories run from Friday morning through Monday morning.

With such strong wind gusts predicted, power outages are a serious concern, Hamilton said. Given that a holiday weekend is approaching and severe, snowy weather is expected throughout the northern US, any potential power outages would be "really bad news," Hamilton said.

Weather Service meteorologists described the atmospheric event as a "once-in-a-generation storm" that could clobber Buffalo.

Strong winds expected in Rochester NY

The strongest wind gusts are expected in western New York (between Dunkirk and Batavia) between Friday evening and midday Saturday, he said. In Monroe County, gusts could reach 60 mph or higher in the Rochester region.

"This will bring a lot of wind and a lot of blowing snow," said Weather Service meteorologist Dave Zaff.

The storm is also expected to dump lake effect snow on the same areas battered by feet of lake effect snow just before Thanksgiving, when parts of western New York were buried under more than 6 feet of snow in spots, paralyzing the region for days. and again last week. Between predicted wind and snow, travel could become treacherous in spots and localized blizzard-like conditions are possible, according to the Weather Service.

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As of Wednesday morning, the Weather Service did not pinpoint predicted snow totals for the long-duration snow event, but Hamilton said it will likely be measured in feet rather than inches.

How much snow will Rochester NY get?

The Rochester region will likely see 6 to 10 inches of snow on Friday, as the temperature quickly drops, and potentially some flurries and light snow accumulation on Saturday, depending on the path of the storm.

It will also be cold this weekend, with highs expected in the upper teens. When considering the wind chill, it will feel far colder- around 10 to 20 degrees below zero.

There's also a risk of roads flash freezing on Friday, as rain is expected in Rochester Friday morning, Zaff warned. Any wet surfaces will quickly freeze as the temperature drops 20 to 30 degrees throughout the day - from a predicted high of 45 down to the mid-teens.

"The temperature is not the big deal here," Hamilton said. "It's not pleasant, but it's typical here."

The normal high in mid-December in Rochester is in the upper 30s.

More: What is lake effect snow? And why do Rochester and Buffalo get crazy amounts?

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Rochester NY Weather Forecast: Weekend storm could impact Christmas