Heavy snowstorm blankets parts of the US over Thanksgiving weekend

One of the first major snowstorms of the season blanketed parts of New York, Pennsylvania and Michigan this weekend amid hectic conditions. traveling after Thanksgiving and shopping with a discount. Forecasters expected very cold temperatures and heavy snow to continue through the early part of the week, potentially creating hazards for travelers in the Great Lakes, Plains and Midwest regions.

The snowstorm led to an emergency declaration in parts of New York and a disaster declaration in Pennsylvania, with officials warning of dangerous conditions for Thanksgiving travelers returning home.

A blast of Arctic air brought bitter temperatures of 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit below average to the Northern Plains, the weather service said, prompting cold warnings for parts of North Dakota. Cold air was expected to move across the eastern third of the U.S. on Monday, with temperatures about 10 degrees below average.

Nearly two feet of snow fell in parts of New York, Ohio and Michigan, and 11 inches were recorded in the northwestern tip of Pennsylvania. As of 7 a.m. ET on Saturday, the weather service in Buffalo reported that between 12 and 20 inches of snow had already fallen in cities and towns around Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, with one spot near the Pennsylvania border receiving 9 inches of snow. By early afternoon, more snow had accumulated across the region, forecasters said.

More snow was expected to fall on Sunday, according to the weather service, which warned that areas east of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario could get one or two feet of snow. In Jefferson County, forecasts showed 3 to 4 inches of snow per hour throughout the day.

Snow was also forecast to fall again in Cleveland on Sunday, and weather service meteorologists in the Ohio city said they expected 6 to 18 inches of new snow to accumulate through Tuesday in an area stretching from there to the state line between Pennsylvania and New York.

The National Weather Service said Sunday that “travel may be difficult to impossible” in places where persistent snowfall is forecast through the beginning of the week.

“Snow will increase in intensity today and slowly spread southward across much of the primary snow belt,” the weather service in Cleveland said Sunday morning. Forecasters noted that snow would fall intermittently throughout Tuesday morning, although heavy accumulation was expected Sunday as they predicted snowfall rates of more than an inch per hour in both Ohio and Pennsylvania.

In a warning on Saturday afternoon, the weather service had said the heaviest snow totals were expected “downwind of Lakes Erie and Ontario, covering areas of northeastern Ohio, far northwestern Pennsylvania, western New York state and parts of northwestern meet the state of New York.”

In a telephone interview Saturday with WWNY-TV, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul told the Associated Press that the state had been preparing for the storm for days, deploying snow plows and thousands of workers and consulting with utility companies. She also sent staff from other parts of the state to help.

“I know it’s something they’re all used to and can handle, but I want them to know that we’re here with reinforcements and making sure everyone can travel safely, especially during this very busy holiday weekend,” she said .

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a disaster emergency proclamation, saying parts of Erie County in the northwest received nearly two feet of snow and more snow was expected through Monday evening.

Pennsylvania State Police responded to nearly 200 incidents during a 24-hour period from 6 a.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday, officials said. Authorities closed a portion of I-90 in Pennsylvania and the westbound lanes of the New York Thruway toward Pennsylvania.

The city of Erie, Pennsylvania, said travel was limited to first responders and essential workers and cases of medical emergencies until further notice. The snow and slippery conditions caused vehicles to block gridlocked intersections and streets. Residents were urged to shelter in place and allow crews to evacuate neighborhoods.

With portions of some roads in northwestern Pennsylvania impassable, dozens of travelers took refuge in the lobby and hallways of a Holiday Inn near I-90. Hotel worker Jeremiah Weatherley said workers opened the conference room and gave them blankets.

“They just showed up and we don’t want to turn people away,” he said.

In Buffalo, officials with the NFL’s Bills sought stadium snow shovelers for the season, including ahead of Sunday night’s game against the San Francisco 49ers. The team said it would pay $20 an hour and provide food and hot drinks.

Parts of Michigan were pummeled by lake effect snow, which happens when warm, moist air rising from a body of water mixes with cold, dry air overhead. Snow bands rolling off Lake Superior buried parts of the Upper Peninsula under 2 feet (61 centimeters) or more, said Lily Chapman, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Marquette, Michigan.

There was 10 inches of snow just northeast of Ironwood, in the western part of the Upper Peninsula, and another 2 feet in Munising, in the eastern region, she said.

Snow from the lake could add more than a foot over the eastern Upper Peninsula through Monday morning, with 6 to 10 inches or more in the west, Chapman said.

Gaylord, Michigan, received 2 feet of snow on Friday, setting a new single-day record for the city in a region full of ski resorts, said Keith Berger of the weather service’s Gaylord office. The previous record of 17 inches was set on March 9, 1942.

The snowfall was good news for Treetops Resort, which has 80 acres of ski hill terrain on its 2,000 acres. It strengthens the case that snowmaking will increase before the resort’s season opener next weekend, said Recreation Director Doug Hoeh.

“Obviously, if we get that much snow, it’s great for the snow hills, but it’s bad for the parking lots, so we’re kind of digging out,” Hoeh said.