Lake-Effect Snow To Hit Northeast Over Weekend As Arctic Blast Brings Frigid Weather Across Eastern U.S.

A cars drives along a local route covered with snow during the first winter storm of season at the Poconos in Pennsylvania

A powerful Arctic blast is expected to bring severe winter weather and trigger lake-effect snow across the eastern half of the U.S. over the weekend—potentially disrupting post-Thanksgiving travel plans in the region.

Key Facts

In an early morning update, the National Weather Service Weather Center warned that an “Arctic outbreak of cold air” will hit parts of the Midwest on Friday, dropping temperatures in the region to its lowest level since February.

The Arctic blast is expected to bring “dangerously cold wind chills” over the next two days, with temperatures in the Dakotas and Minnesota dropping as low as minus 15°F.

The agency warned the extreme cold weather will raise the risk of frostbites and hypothermia, and urged travelers to carry a winter survival kit.

The blast of cold air is expected to move over the Great Lakes, triggering heavy lake-effect snowfall in parts of New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio.

The NWS warned the lake effect could dump “multiple feet of snow” in some locations, making travel “difficult to impossible”—especially on the I-90 between Cleveland and Buffalo and the I-81 near Syracuse.

What Is Lake-Effect Snow?

Lake effect snow is a common weather phenomenon witnessed in the Great Lakes region during winter when cold air from the north moves above the comparatively warmer waters in the lakes. This leads to moisture from the lakes being pulled into the atmosphere, causing it to form rapidly growing clouds as the air moves over the water bodies. This usually results in narrow but intense bands of snowfall. The water in the Great Lakes is currently seeing record-warm temperatures, which could intensify the effect. One of the most extreme instances of lake-effect snowfall was witnessed in November 2014, when parts of Erie County, New York received nearly 80 inches of snow during the storm, which caused $46 million in damages.

Big Number

1,730. Total number delays for flight flying into, out of or within the U.S. on Thanksgiving day, along with 61 cancelations, according to FlightAware data. On Friday, 294 flights have been delayed as of early morning.