Gov. Kathy Hochul Saturday issued a state of emergency for several counties in western New York and the North Country, where bands of heavy lake effect snow will blanket those areas in 3-5 feet of snow.
Speaking with Spectrum News, Hochul said that Jefferson, Lewis, Herkimer, Oswego, and St. Lawrence counties would be under a state of emergency until further notice.
Several feet of lake effect snow is expected to fall across parts of the North Country in the coming days. Lake Effect Snow Warnings are in effect for Jefferson, Lewis and Oswego counties until 7 p.m. Monday.
A band of intense lake effect snow set up east of Lake Ontario Friday morning, with moderate to heavy snow falling from northern Oswego County to just north of the city of Watertown. The band will likely stay north of Oswego County for much of the weekend, according to the National Weather Service. By Saturday morning, some areas, including the city of Watertown, could see 4-5 feet of snow.
The band of lake effect snow is expected to drift south into Oswego County late Sunday, with 4-6 inches possible in the heaviest snow bands by Monday morning.
According to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office, the state is sending additional snow plows and operators to the North Country to help with snow removal.
