JAMESTOWN – The travel advisory issued for Chautauqua and Cattaraugus Counties this morning has since been lifted as of 2 PM this afternoon. The Chautauqua County Department of Public Facilities crews will continue to plow roads and drivers are encouraged to use caution as winter conditions still persist.
Snow has been falling at a good clip across much fo the Southern Tier, leading to some significant totals. Areas in the hilly terrain have seen over 20 inches of accumulation over there past 24 hours, with Perrysburg in Cattaraugus County leading the way with almost 3 feet of snow!
The Winter Storm Warning for Chautauqua and Cattaraugus Counties will continue until 6 PM tonight as the lake snow band is continuing to impact the Southern Tier.
While the band has weakened somewhat, snowfall rates could still reach upwards of one inch per hour with a lot of blowing and drifting snow from gusty winds. Additional snow accumulations could range between 3 to 6 inches, which could push some snow totals over 3 feet.
The winds will remain an issue through the day. A west wind 15 to 25 MPH with gusts upwards of 40 MPH will blow not only blow the falling snow around, reducing visibilities but the fresh snow that has fallen will also be blown around.
The snow should begin to taper off through the late afternoon with a few left over snow showers for tonight.
A big warmup is in the cards for the weekend as temps rise to above average. Some snowmelt is likely over the weekend, along with added moisture from widespread showers both days.
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