WESTERN NEW YORK – Over 3,000 National Grid Customers are without power as March’s first winter storm moves across the area.
The Fredonia Police Department has issued a travel advisory until further notice due to heavy snow, high winds and downed power lines.
Police ask drivers to avoid all unnecessary travel within the Village of Fredonia.
The National Grid reports 2,255 customers are without electricity in Chautauqua County. Officials expect power to be restored around 11:15 PM.
Meanwhile, 1,701 customers are in the dark in Cattaraugus County. There is no solid restoration time in Catt County.
Chief Forecaster Dakota Hunter says Jamestown hasn’t seen much snow yet, but totals of around 4 to 8 inches in the Boston Hills, into northern Catt. County have already come in from the National Weather Service.
At 9:54 PM, a trained storm spotter reported a snow total, so far, of 8.8 inches in Franklinville, with a snowfall rate of 1 to 2 inches per hour.
We do expect the snow to pick up in coverage and intensity, as the low pressure system moves a bit further towards the east.
In Jamestown, city police closed part of Jones and Gifford Avenue due to flooding caused by heavy rain earlier in the day Thursday.
That rain turned to snow this evening causing slick conditions for drivers.
Many schools have already canceled classes for Friday.
In Chautauqua County: Bemus Point Central, Bethel Baptist Academy, Campus & Community Children’s Center, Cassadaga Valley Central, Dunkirk City School District, Erie 2 BOCES – Hewes Educational Center, Falconer Central, Forestville Central, Fredonia Central, Frewsburg Central Schools, Jamestown City Schools, LoGuidice Educational Center-Fredonia, Northern Chautauqua Catholic, Pine Valley Central, Samaritan House at Sinclairville, Sherman Central, Silver Creek Central, Southwestern Central, and WNY DDSO @ Fredonia are closed.
In Cattaraugus County: Cattaraugus Little Valley Central School District, J.N. Adam Day Habilitation, Randolph Central, Salamanca City School District, West Valley Central, and WNY DDSO @ North Road Day Hab are closed.
If you have any weather photos or videos related to the storm, please tweet them to Chief Forecaster Dakota Hunter @HuntersWX, message our Facebook page, or send them via email to newsdesk@new.wnynewsnow.com.
WNYNewsNow Chief Forecaster Dakota Hunter contributed to this report.
