BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — As strong winds and lake effect snow impact the Western New York region, conditions will change rapidly. You can find the latest weather updates from the 7 Weather team here.
You can check the latest closings online here. You can check the latest NYSEG power outages here and National Grid power outages here.
Follow the latest updates on travel conditions and alerts below.
Monday, December 29, noon update
Powerful winds are causing massive waves along the Lake Erie shoreline. This was the scene outside of Hoak's in Hamburg around noon on Monday.
Monday, December 29, 11 a.m. update
Buffalo City Hall will close at 11:30 a.m. "to ensure the safety of employees and the public."
In addition, all Erie County office buildings will closing at 1:30 a.m. Officials said all non-essential employees will be released for the day at that time
"This is being done out of an abundance of caution with the expectation of the worst of the storm hitting the metro Buffalo area starting at 1 PM through 5 PM," Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said in a Facebook post.
Monday, December 29, 10:45 a.m. update
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz issued a Travel Advisory for all of Erie County as of 11 a.m. on Monday. Officials said residents are advised to avoid travel if possible. If you need to travel, make sure your vehicle is prepared for winter driving and has a winter survival kit.
Monday, December 29, 10:30 a.m. update
The final nights of the Fairgrounds Festival of Lights, on December 29 and December 30, have been canceled due to forecasted weather conditions. Organizers said all ticket holders for the two days will receive an automatic refund and no action is required.
Monday, December 29, 9:30 a.m. update
The City of Buffalo issued a travel advisory due to the deteriorating winter weather conditions. City officials said residents should avoid unnecessary travel and use caution if travel is required.
The Buffalo Skyway closed at 6 a.m. due to high winds. City of Buffalo officials said the closure will be in place until further notice.
As of 6 a.m., and until further notice, an empty tractor-trailer and tandem ban is in place on the NYS Thruway (I-90) in both directions from exit 46 (Henrietta) to the Pennsylvania border, and the Niagara Thruway (I-190).
