weather

Many area schools are already delayed this morning to help give highway crews time to get the roads salted. Ice is the main problem right now. Wind will become the hazard this evening. As for the best news of all: expect more of it, throughout the day today.

A winter weather advisory issued yesterday by the National Weather Service that was supposed to run through 5:00pm today has been extended through the evening until 5:00am Thursday. From the advisory:

Freezing rain will produce very slipper conditions across the area this morning. A changeover to all snow and increasing westerly winds will make driving hazardous tonight.

Freezing rain will change to occasional rain and drizzle this morning. Additional ice accumulation of less than one tenth of an inch expected. Expect periods of snow tonight with 1 to 3 inches possible by Thursday morning. Accumulations of 2 to 5 inches are likely well south of Buffalo and Batavia. The snow will also be accompanied by westerly winds gusting up to 35 mphs at times.

Here's a look at conditions out on the Thruway at the Batavia interchange:

Several area school districts have delayed opening school for two hours as a result of icy roads, according to WBTA's Dan Fischer. They include: Batavia City Schools, Attica, Le Roy and Pavilion. Fischer reports that a number of roads simply have yet to be salted.

In other news, 40 workers have been let go at Lapp Insulators in Le Roy. On its Web site, the company is described as "a world-leading manufacturer of high voltage ceramic and composite insulators for the global electric utility industry." A loss of 40 employees will bring the total workforce down to 98. There is no news on the WBTA site as to why the company enforced the lay offs.

We've received yet another winter weather advisory from the National Weather Service. This one goes into effect tonight at 8:00pm through 5:00pm tomorrow.

A wintry mix will produce slippery travel tonight through Wednesday. Light snow is expected to overspread the Niagara Frontier, Genesee Valley and northern Finger Lakes this evening. The light snow will change to sleet and freezing rain from southwest to northeast after midnight. Occasional light freezing rain and freezing drizzle is expected to continue through Wednesday. The freezing rain may change to just rain later Wednesday with temperatures rising just above freezing.

Snow accumulations of 1 to 2 inches are possible before the changeover. Ice accumulations of up to a tenth of an inch are possible.

Be careful out there. This doesn't sound like the worst we've had—freezing drizzle isn't all that intimidating—but even a tenth of an inch of ice can cause some hairy driving conditions.

It was a wretched commute into Batavia from Rochester this morning. Roads were packed and ragged with snow. It's slow going out there, so be careful.

Fortunately, the winter storm warning is set to expire by noon today, according to WBTA's Dan Fischer. Until then, however, expect another few inches of snow to fall, and watch out for whiteout conditions as the winds should be kicking up around 30 mph.

More snow will be falling across the region overnight tonight and into tomorrow afternoon. Fortunately, it won't be anything we can't handle. Here's the winter weather advisory being issued by the National Weather Service and in effect from 10:00pm tonight through noon tomorrow:

Snow amounts of 2 to 5 inches are expected overnight with the lowest amounts near Lake Ontario and the highest amounts generally south of Route 20.

On Wednesday another couple of inches are expected through midday before the snow tapers off.

A winter weather advisory is normally issued for a variety of winter weather conditions such as light snow, blowing snow, sleet, freezing rain and wind chilld. While the weather will be significant, the word advisory implies that severe winter weather is not anticipated.

In other words, get out your shovels, but there's no need to fire up the generator.

Here's how things look on the radar right now. There are a few patchy areas of snow south and east of us. But what will really bring the accumulation is that blotch of blue off to the west, creeping over Detroit.

The National Weather Service has cancelled the flood warning for Batavia:

The flood warning is cancelled for the Tonawanda Creek at Batavia. At 8am Monday the stage was 8.6 feet and falling. Flood stage is 9.0 feet. Forecast: The river fell below flood stage later this morning and will continue to fall to around 5.7 feet by Tuesday morning. Impact: At 10.0 feet, moderate flood. Minor to moderate flooding along the entire reach from Batavia to Tonawanda. Most focused in Alabama swamps, rapids, and northern Clarence and Amherst, and also in city of Batavia west of Main Street.

Tonawanda Creek crested Sunday morning, spilling its banks onto local roads, some of which are still closed off today, according to WBTA's Dan Fischer. Route 77 between Route 33 in Corfu and Route 20 in Darien is still closed due to a flooded viaduct under the railroad tracks there. Walnut Street in Batavia is also reported closed. Nevertheless, Fischer reports, people are still driving through the nearly two feet of water and around the barricades that were themselves taken down by the flood waters. Peaviner and Cookson roads are also closed.

Flooding was only one of the weather extremes causing for tough travel and some serious property damage across the county and elsewhere in Western New York yesterday. High winds, whipping up over 70 mph, felled trees and snapped poles toppling power lines. Winds in Batavia reached a peak of 62 mph, as was recorded at the School of the Blind.

Paul Mrozek wrote an article about the flooding and winds for the Daily News.

 I know a lot of people are spending today dealing with flooded basements. After you get the water pumped out, please feel free to share photos and stories of the events from today.

FYI.....Tonawanda Creek south of Batavia BEGAN spilling its banks last evening (Sat. Dec. 27) and continues to rise. It  doesn't appear to be anywhere near cresting and this event looks to be potentially nasty. Pumps are running in the basement of our Creek Road home as I write this. Looks like our dogs will be spending the day indoors.

Probably a good a idea to avoid the low-lying areas immediately to the south, particularly  Dorman, Peaviner, Cookson and Old Creek Roads.    

We received the following flood warning, issued by the National Weather Service out of Buffalo:

Flood warning for the Ellicott Creek below Williamsville. From this afternoon to Sunday morning. At 8:00am Saturday the stage was 6.3 feet and rising. Minor flooding is forecast. Flood stage is 8 feet. Forecast: the river is expected to rise above flood stage late this afternoon and crest near 9.1 feet this evening. Impact at 10 feet: Moderate flood. Extensive flooding in Ellicott Creek Park and minor flooding in surrounding neighborhoods in Tonawanda.

For more information on the progression of potential flooding in your area, keep up with the updates at the Weather Channel online.

Earlier today, we received a news tip that an elderly woman in Oakfield had been "found in the snow" and subsequently taken to the hospital for treatment. Apparently a news station in Buffalo reported the incident without releasing the name of the woman nor relating what exactly had happened... Odd.

Well, we contacted the Genesee County sheriff's deputies to find out what really happened. Chief Deputy Gordon Dibble got back to us. He had this to say:

"I found nothing regarding an elderly woman found in a snow bank in our county yesterday.  What I did find was a rumor floating around about an elderly woman who was found in a snow bank in some other county and supposedly she was a Genesee Co. resident.  I am unable to backtrack that rumor but your caller may have heard a news report regarding this and picked up on the Genesee Co. part thinking it occurred in our county."

There you go. Just another rumor that made the nightly news.

We received this photo via a news submission this morning. No name was given, but the following caption was included: "Parts delivery @ Empire Tractor," and the photo was taken during Friday's big storm. Does anyone know the story behind this? How did this truck get in this situation?

The National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a winter weather advisory beginning at 10 o'clock tonight and stretching overnight to about 9 o'clock Wednesday morning. We should expect to see "mixed precipitation" that should start out as freezing rain but soon turn to rain only.

From the National Weather Service:

Light snow will overspread the region tonight, then change over to a mix of freezing rain and sleet for a few hours overnight before transitioning to all rain by mid Wednesday morning. A general 1 to 3 inches of snow is expected, along with the potential for up to one to two tenths of an inch of ice accumulation, with the greatest amounts of ice accumulation most likely across interior sections of the Finger Lakes, Genesee Valley and Western Southern Tier. Any such ice accumulation will result in hazardous driving conditions on any untreated roadways later tonight and early Wednesday.

A winger weather advisory for mixed precipitation is issued when some icing is forecast to develop, but accumulations are expected to be light. Any accumulation would make driving and walking difficult but not impossible on untreated roads and sidewalks. If you will be driving be especially careful on bridges and overpasses and allow extra time to reach your destination.

Here's a look at the current Thruway conditions... clear:

Road crews all over Genesee County have been vigilant and most roads and city streets are now all clear of the ice and snow that covered them yesterday, according to WBTA's Dan Fischer. Nevertheless, some patches of packed snow can be found in spots, so caution is still advised while driving. As for tonight—how about rain? Temperatures will be pushing 40 degrees as we head into Christmas Eve. That means some of the ubiquitous snow will shrink down as it melts.

Fischer reports that the storms have caused some collateral damage, costing the Salvation Army some $5,000 in donations to the Red Kettle Campaign, presumably because folks couldn't get out and give.

The Genesee County Sheriff's Office lifted the travel advisory for the county at 2 o'clock this afternoon. "There is still blowig and drifting snow, however all roads are passable and visibility has improved," according to a released statement. "Roads are snow packed and slippery and extreme caution is advised when driving."

If you have gone out today, how have you found the roads?

Blowing snow made for a tricky commute this morning. What was normally a forty minute drive became a near two-hour trek. Some stretches along Route 33 between here and Bergen were blotted out by blowing snow. A few whiteouts were so severe that once I had come out the other side, I found myself half off the road or veering dangerously near the oncoming lane.

All in all, though, it was an uneventful ride. Sunshine has replaced snow clouds. Fewer people are on the roads during the eleven o'clock hour. Plus, the highway crews have done one heck of a job getting the roads clear—as best they can while competing against a relentless, unceasing wind. Route 33 was the worst of it. This video should give you an idea of how bad it could get out there. This was a few hundred yards from the junction with I-490. Further down the stretch, the blowing snow was much more dense and blinding, but the sound of the wind more than the picture should give you a good idea of its ferocity. (You may just be able to make out Ingrid Haebler playing Mozart's piano sonata in E-flat major in the background.)

Anyhow, it couldn't have been that bad out. Not if the woman driving the blue-grey Buick ahead of me on I-490 felt no qualms about tailgaiting the car in front of her. She even found time to clean her car some while she was driving. At least, that's what seemed to be the case as she randomly through bits of paper and trash out of her window as she was driving.

If we can rewind a bit, back in Rochester, I ought to admit that I was slightly intimidated at first. Pulling out of the side street was a feat in itself, grinding through the hash of snow and slush. Then, at the gas station, the attendant had to come out and de-ice one of the nozzles for a customer whose gas had frozen inside the pump handle! Further on, a few miles down I-490, near Gates, a vehicle had flipped up onto its side and was quite literally balanced that way on the edge of the westbound lanes. A coterie of police and emergency vehicles were lined up behind it, but I was too busy navigating through the wraith-like whips of snow to snap a photo. From there on out, the drive was mostly go slow and pray.

So I'm safe, as I hope all of you are, as well. For those who have yet to brave the elements, don't be too lulled by the azure, sunny skies. A fierce wind still blows.

Oh yeah. Let's all wish this guy luck digging out...

Well, folks. I'm ready and willing. We shall soon find out if I'm able. We've gathered the morning news for you. Now, there's nothing left to do but brave the commute. I'm leaving from Rochester and heading to Batavia in search of life on the streets, off the streets and in the shops. Check back later for full photo coverage of the journey. In the meantime, if you've got photos, video, stories to tell or whatever related to the storms of the past few days, please send them our way. We would love to share.

The Thruway between Rochester and the Pennsylvania border has been re-opened. Nevertheless, conditions are nasty. Expect snow, ice and blowing snow. If you do have to drive this stretch, please do so with caution.

Thanks to Brian Odachowski for getting us this photo over the weekend. This was taken on Main Street in Batavia during Friday's storm, which already seems like a pleasant memory compared with the frigid winds and whiteouts of this morning. You can't quite make it out in this scaled-down version, but this truck here is hauling snow pushers. Is that irony?

If your job requires a commute to either Rochester or Buffalo, you might want to call your boss now and tell him or her you won't make it into work today.  That big project you're working on? It will just have to wait.

The Thruway is closed in both directions from from Rochester to Erie, Pa., according to the Thruway Authority web site.  Those are exits 46 to 61.

We have no information on alternative routes at this time, but if the Thruway is closed ... 

UPDATE: 6:24 a.m.: WBTA has more on closings and cancellations.

UPDATE: 6:49 a.m.: Here's the latest weather statement from the National Weather Service:

... SLOW TRAVEL ACROSS THE NIAGARA FRONTIER THIS MORNING...

WHILE THE HEAVY LAKE SNOWS HAVE PUSHED SOUTH... THERE WILL STILL BE AREAS OF REDUCED VISIBILITIES FROM BLOWING SNOW EARLY THIS MORNING. THIS WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY SOME OCCASIONAL LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS... ESPECIALLY ACROSS ORLEANS AND GENESEE COUNTIES WHERE MORE WIDESPREAD LAKE ONTARIO GENERATED SNOWS WILL BE FOUND.

TEMPERATURES EARLY THIS MORNING WILL BE CLOSE TO 10 DEGREES...

WITH GUSTY WEST WINDS OF 15 TO 30 MPH PRODUCING WIND CHILL VALUES CLOSE TO 10 BELOW ZERO. MOTORISTS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED ROADS AND A LONGER COMMUTE TIME.

ANYONE HEADING OUTDOORS SHOULD ALSO BE DRESSED FOR THE SUB ZERO WIND CHILLS BY COVERING AS MUCH EXPOSED SKIN AS POSSIBLE. DRESSING IN LAYERS IS ALSO SUGGESTED.