Governor Kathy Hochul today declared a State of Emergency in portions of the Western New York, Finger Lakes, Central New York and North Country regions as those areas are set to receive multiple feet of lake effect snow. Areas east of Lakes Erie and Ontario could see two to three feet of snow along with strong wind gusts of 30-45 mph beginning tonight and continuing through Saturday. As a result, the Thruway Authority is implementing a tandem and empty tractor trailer ban in both directions on the Thruway (I-90) from exit 53 (Buffalo (Downtown) - Canada - Niagara Falls - I-190) west to the Pennsylvania state line until further notice. Additionally, the Department of Transportation is also implementing a tandem and empty trailer ban beginning at midnight for NY Route 5 from NY 179 to I-190 (Erie County), US 219 from I-90 to I-86 (Erie and Cattaraugus Counties), NY Route 400 from I-90 to NY 16 (Erie County) and I-86 from US 219 to PA Line (Cattaraugus and Chautauqua Counties). New Yorkers in these areas should pay close attention to their local forecasts and avoid any unnecessary travel as the combination of snow and strong winds could create whiteout conditions.
“As winter weather bears down on our State, I am declaring a State of Emergency so our communities have the resources they need to stay safe,” Governor Hochul said. “We are deploying resources and working alongside our partners in government as we prepare for every possibility — I encourage all New Yorkers to stay alert, stay off the roads if possible, and keep in contact with family and friends as we move through the next 48 hours.”
The State of Emergency is in effect for Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Franklin, Genesee, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Oswego, St. Lawrence, Wyoming and contiguous counties.
In addition to the lake event snow beginning Wednesday night, strong wind gusts and heavy rain is continuing throughout Wednesday in the eastern portion of the state including the Hudson Valley, New York City and Long Island. Wind gusts could surpass 50 mph in some places and could cause power outages, while the heavy rain has the potential to cause localized flash flooding.
Numerous Watches and Warnings are in effect for much of the state. For a complete listing of weather alerts, visit the National Weather Service website at alerts.weather.gov. New Yorkers are also encouraged to sign up for emergency alerts by subscribing to NY Alert at alert.ny.gov, a free service providing critical emergency information to your cell phone or computer.
Agency Activities
New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services
The Division’s Office of Emergency Management is in contact with their local counterparts and is prepared to facilitate requests for assistance. State stockpiles are staffed and ready to deploy emergency response assets and supplies as needed. The State Watch Center is monitoring the storm track and statewide impacts closely.
New York State Department of Transportation
The State Department of Transportation is implementing a tandem and empty trailer ban beginning at midnight on the following roads:
- NY Route 5 from NY 179 to I-190 (Erie County)
- US 219 from I-90 to I-86 (Erie and Cattaraugus Counties)
- NY Route 400 from I-90 to NY 16 (Erie County)
- I-86 from US 219 to PA Line (Cattaraugus and Chautauqua Counties)
DOT continues to monitor weather conditions and is prepared to respond with 3,527 supervisors and operators available statewide. All field staff are available to fully engage and respond. Staff can be configured into any type of response crew that is needed (plow, drainage, chipper, load & haul, cut & toss, etc.). All available response equipment is ready to deploy and all residencies in impacted locations will remain staffed for 24/7 operations with operators, supervisors, and mechanics throughout the duration of the event and priority cleanup operations.
Statewide equipment numbers are as follows:
- 1,623 large plow trucks
- 336 large loaders
- 152 medium duty plows
- 52 tow plows
- 36 large snow blowers
- 19 graders
- 37 tracked excavators
- 50 loader grapple attachments
- 29 traffic signal trucks
- 12 tree crew bucket trucks
To further support response operations in storm-impacted areas, the Department is deploying five plow trucks, four snow blowers, two graders and an additional 28 staff — including 20 plow truck operators, four supervisors, and four equipment operator instructors — to the North Country and Western New York. They will be deployed as follows:
North Country
- Receiving 10 operators, two supervisors and five plow trucks from the Mohawk Valley
Western New York
- Receiving five operators, one supervisor and two equipment operator instructors from the Finger Lakes
- Receiving five operators, one supervisor, two equipment operator instructors, one snow blower and one grader from the Western Southern Tier
- Receiving one snow blower and one grader from the Capital Region
- Receiving one snow blower from the Mohawk Valley
- Receiving one snow blower from Mid-Hudson
All staff are currently preparing for travel and will be in place at their assigned locations by Wednesday evening. Regions experiencing lake effect snows will also perform rolling assists to enhance coverage in the heavy snowfall areas. These rolling assists will shift as the bands oscillate.
The need for additional resources will be re-evaluated as conditions warrant throughout the event.
For real-time travel information, motorists should call 511 or visit https://www.511ny.org/#:Alerts
Thruway Authority
The Thruway Authority is monitoring the forecast and ready to respond with 692 operators and supervisors available. Beginning at midnight, the Thruway Authority is implementing a tandem and empty tractor trailer ban in both directions for the NYS Thruway (I-90) from exit 53 (Buffalo (Downtown) - Canada - Niagara Falls - I-190) west to the Pennsylvania state line until further notice. Statewide equipment numbers and resources are listed below:
- 330 large and medium duty plow trucks
- 10 tow plows
- 63 loaders
- 117,000+ tons of salt on hand
Variable Message Signs and social media (X and Facebook) are utilized to alert motorists of winter weather conditions on the Thruway.
New for the 2024-2025 snow and ice season, all of the Thruway's more than 250 heavy-duty plow trucks are equipped with green hazard lights, complementing the standard amber hazard lights. Green lights are intended to improve visibility and enhance safety during winter operations, particularly in low-light conditions and poor weather. Drivers are reminded that Thruway snowplows travel at about 35 miles per hour — which in many cases is slower than the posted speed limit — in order to ensure that salt being dispersed stays in the driving lanes and does not scatter off the roadways. The safest place for motorists is well behind the snowplows where the roadway is clear and treated.
