Thundersnow is set to hit New York ahead of Thanksgiving, leaving many wondering what to expect.
A combination of snow and a thunderstorm is expected to hit the northern and western parts of the Empire State this weekend, affecting the cities of Buffalo and Watertown with up to 4 feet of snow. The heaviest amount can be expected about Thursday night and Friday, when the phenomenon known as thundersnow hits the state, according to Fox Weather.
“It’s going to be a long-lived event, probably 36 hours of moderate to heavy snows across a population of over a million people, so it is a big event by all means,” said Fox Weather winter storm specialist Tom Niziol.
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Thundersnow occurs when snow falls instead of rain during a thunderstorm, which typically forms during warmer weather. This allows for heavy amounts of snow to fall when formed in cooler temperatures. The falling snow can muffle the sound lightning strikes create, though the sight of the lightning flashes will appear brighter than against rain due to the snow’s white color reflecting it, according to the U.S. Sun.
The United States rarely experiences any thundersnow, receiving 6.3 thundersnows annually. Because of the snow muffling the sound of lighting strikes from the weather, it is not always clear when people are experiencing thundersnow, according to ABC 17.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul issued a state of emergency on Wednesday, advising New Yorkers of dangerous travel conditions and local power outages caused by the storm. Beginning 4 p.m. on Thursday, all traffic on the I-90 highway between Rochester, New York, and the Pennsylvania border will be banned as a precaution, according to the press release.
“Parts of Western New York, the Finger Lakes, Central New York and the North Country are about to get their first snowstorm of the season, which means we need everyone in these impacted regions to be ready for dangerous travel conditions,” Hochul said. “My team and I are deploying emergency response assets ahead of the storm, remain in constant contact with local officials, and are laser focused on the forecast. New Yorkers should remain vigilant ahead of the storm and avoid any unnecessary travel during these hazardous conditions.”
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If planning to travel by vehicle during the storm, you should keep your gas tank at least half full at all times and travel with supplies, including a flashlight, a small shovel, a window scraper, and some blankets and sleeping bags, the governor’s office recommends.
