The National Weather Service has issued high wind warnings for much of western New York, where outdoor Christmas decorations could be blown away by gusts expected to hit 65 mph.
The weather service's high wind warnings are in effect from 8 p.m. Christmas Eve to 4 p.m. Christmas Day from Rochester to Buffalo, where a flood watch for the Lake Erie shoreline has also been issued.
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Forecasters say winds of 30 to 40 mph are predicted, with gusts of 65 mph possible in some areas of the Buffalo-Niagara region before the blustery conditions subside by Friday.
The Thruway Authority has issued a restriction on I-90 between Exit 44 and Exit 61 for empty tractor trailers, including I-190, from 8 p.m. Christmas Eve to 4 p.m. Christmas Day.
High wind advisories and flood watches have been issued for other parts of New York from the state's southwest corner to the Adirondacks.
Temperatures have already topped 50 degrees Wednesday in some areas, including Buffalo, where it's 52.
