The morning commute could be next to impossible as the National Weather Service issues Blizzard Warnings in several counties.

A  Blizzard Warning is in effect from 7am Thursday to 4pm Friday for Oswego, Jefferson and Lewis counties.

Blizzard conditions are expected with total snow accumulations of 3 to 4 feet across the Tug Hill Plateau, and 1 to 2 feet for surrounding lower elevations. Winds gusting as high as 50 to 60 mph will result in severe blowing and drifting snow making travel difficult to impossible.

The hazardous conditions will impact the morning and evening commutes Thursday and Friday. Strong winds could cause some tree damage and scattered power outages.

Photo Credit - Noaa.gov
Photo Credit - Noaa.gov
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Heavy lake effect snow is expected in northern Oneida County where a Blizzard Warning is in effect from 7am Thursday to 4pm Friday. Total snow accumulations of
6 to 12 inches with locally higher amounts in extreme northern Oneida County are expected with wind gusts as high as 40 mph.

Gusty west winds will create blizzard conditions with blowing and drifting snow, and hazardous travel conditions.

Lake effect snow expected to shift to the south over Onondaga, Madison and southern Oneida Counties later Friday and continue into Saturday. Still a good deal of uncertainty in the onset of this lake band. Most favorable time for 1-2” per hour snowfall rates should be Friday night.

Photo Credit - Noaa.gov
Photo Credit - Noaa.gov
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There are numerous watches, warnings and advisories in effect across western, central and upstate New York.

There's a Wind Advisory for most of CNY Thursday. Gusts 40-50 mph could blow around loose outdoor objects, break tree branches and

Photo Credit - Noaa.gov
Photo Credit - Noaa.gov
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Central New York

In central New York, there's a WINTER STORM WATCH in effect from Friday morning through Saturday evening for Onondaga, Madison and Southern Oneida counties including Syracuse, Hamilton, Oneida, Rome, and Utica.

Long duration heavy snow is possible with total snow accumulations of 5 to 9 inches. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph, creating whiteout conditions.

Eastern Lake Ontario/Tug Hill

The Eastern Lake Ontario region will see snow in feet, not inches, especially across the Tug Hill Plateau. There's a WINTER STORM WATCH from through Friday afternoon in Oswego, Watertown, and Lowville.

Long duration heavy lake effect snow is expected with total snow accumulations of 3 to 4 feet, 1 to 2 feet in surrounding lower elevations. Snowfall rates may exceed 2 inches per hour at times. Winds gust as high as 60 mph resulting in SIGNIFICANT blowing and drifting snow.

Photo Credit - Noaa.gov
Photo Credit - Noaa.gov
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Northern Herkimer and Hamilton Counties

There's a Winter Weather Advisory until 10am Thursday  with 2 to 6 inches of snow expected and 35 m.p.h. winds gusts. Then a Blizzard Warning is in effect from 10am Thursday to 4pm Friday. 8 to 18 inches of snow is possible for areas near and along Route 28 across the western Adirondacks. Winds gusting as high as 40 mph.

If you're planning to travel, you can check road conditions anywhere in New York, anytime at 511NY.org. Get up to date traffic news, receive alerts and plan your route. You can even sign up to have travel alerts sent right to your phone.

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Winter Weather Preparation:

  • Keep your cell phone charged and make sure you know where your backup power supply is.
  • Make sure all your flashlights have fresh batteries.
  • Fill your gas tank. You can use your car to keep warm and recharge devices.
  • Have some food available that you don’t need to cook.

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