Officials in the Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties are telling people to stay off the roads as lake effect snow and high winds continue to pummel the region.
Jefferson County, which is seeing the heaviest snowfall, has issued a complete travel ban and a state of emergency. "This means limited travel ONLY, that is essential for the protection and preservation of life and/or property," according to a county press release.
The Jefferson County Sheriff reported 75-100 vehicles Saturday morning that have either been abandoned in the roadways or are stuck with people still in them. Officers were working to get stranded motorists to warming shelters.
Conditions remain poor in Jefferson Co., including here along I-81 in Orleans, where a Trooper checking on disabled vehicles was struck by a passing vehicle that lost control due to the conditions. The Trooper escaped with a minor injury. pic.twitter.com/4fa2tZUCtX
— NewYorkStatePolice (@nyspolice) December 24, 2022
The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for Jefferson and western St. Lawrence counties, predicting wind gusts 35-50 mph.
St. Lawrence County also had a state of emergency and travel ban in effect until noon Saturday, with poor visibility and dangerous road conditions.
Lewis County downgraded from a travel ban to a travel advisory Saturday morning.
At a weather briefing late Saturday morning, Gov. Kathy Hochul described the snowstorm hitting western parts of the state as “one of the worst in history.”
It has impacted transportation in parts of western New York, with the Buffalo Niagara International Airport closed through Monday morning, and some roads closed through Christmas day, Hochul said.
Almost every fire truck in Buffalo, she said, was stranded and stuck in snow as of Saturday morning.
“No matter how many emergency vehicles we have, they cannot get through the conditions as we speak,” she said.
Travel on the New York State Thruway is banned for all vehicles from exit 46 (Henrietta) to the Pennsylvania border.
Officials urged residents to resist dangerous travel for holiday gatherings and instead stay at home.
Jefferson County was also where residents are experiencing the most power outages in the region. Almost 4,000 National Grid customers were without electricity as of Saturday morning. National Grid says its crews are fighting "treacherous" blizzard conditions, especially in the Watertown area, as they work to repair downed lines.
Jefferson County has opened warming shelters at: Adams Fire Station, Henderson Fire Station, Northpole Fire Station, Chaumont Fire Station, Cape Vincent Fire Station, and Sackets Harbor Station.
Franklin County had 1,125 customers without power Sunday morning.
According to the National Weather Service, the powerful storm is forecast to continue bringing lake effect snow to the region, with more than two feet forecast through Sunday in Jefferson County and anywhere from an additional six inches to two feet in Lewis and St. Lawrence Counties.
Watch a live view of Public Square in Watertown.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
