any travel bans in buffalo ny

Final travel ban in Erie County to be lifted this afternoon

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The final travel ban in Erie County - for the city of Lackawanna - will be lifted at 1 p.m. this afternoon.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz says main and secondary streets are in good condition but, according to Mayor Anette Iaffalo, crews need more time to clear some side streets. The county has provided additional equipment to help with this process.

A travel ban in Cheektowaga ended at 9 a.m., while a travel ban for the city of Buffalo and the rest of the county was lifted at 6 a.m.

The snow ban moved north of the Southtowns last night, allowing for crews and snow shovelers to work quickly to clear the inside and outside of Highmark Stadium ahead of this afternoon's Bills-Steelers Wild Card game, which was rescheduled from 1 p.m. Sunday to 4:30 p.m. today.

Shovelers are still needed! Erie County just gave the all clear for people to travel to the stadium to help out. Just use Rt. 20 or Abbott to get there. @WKBW https://t.co/7pSgCMg0my — Taylor Epps (@taylor_epps_) January 15, 2024

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UPDATE: All travel bans lifted across Erie County

Cheektowaga, N.Y. (WBEN) - The last remaining travel ban in Erie Couny was lifted when the City of Lackawanna reopened to traffic in full at 1 p.m. following a nightmarish weekend of lake effect snow and blizzad-lie conditions.

Additionally, all major roadways that were closed due to the weather conditions have been reopened, including the NYS Thruway, Route 400, Route 219 and the Skyway/Lakeshore complex

Travel ban lifted in Erie County as road conditions improve, warmer weather settles in

A travel ban has been lifted in New York’s Erie County, days after it was put into place as a deadly blizzard swept across the region, at times reducing visibility to zero.

The ban, which was implemented Friday, expired at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, officials said.

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown told reporters Wednesday night that the roads were in good enough condition to lift the ban.

“It has been 6 days,” Brown said. “Some people have not been able to restock groceries, to restock medications, to get to medical appointments, and being able to lift the travel ban safely now will allow people to do those important things.”

Most streets in the city are passable, Brown said, and he expected crews to have made a pass down the center of every residential street by the end of the night.

Though the ban has been lifted, a travel advisory was in place for Erie County as cleanup continues and a county-wide state of emergency remained. Brown asked people to be cautious and avoid driving unless necessary.

More than 450 pieces of equipment were on Buffalo streets plowing and hauling snow, and many traffic signals were still not working, he said.

The storm dumped upwards of 20 inches of snow in parts of New York — including nearly 52 inches at Buffalo Niagara International Airport, according to the National Weather Service.

The powerful storm plunged much of the United States into a deep freeze, creating life-threatening conditions as more than 1 million homes and businesses were left in the dark, and wreaking havoc on flight schedules during the busy holiday travel week.

At least 76 people died in the storm, according to an NBC News tally. Erie County accounted for 37 of the deaths, 29 of which were in Buffalo.

Weather-related deaths were also reported in Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, Michigan, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Illinois and Vermont.

In Buffalo, officials said it was possible the number could rise.

Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said Wednesday night that police have cleared the backlog of calls relating to welfare checks, stranded motorists and reports of bodies.

Search and rescue teams were returning Thursday to check locations where bodies had been reported but could not be confirmed — either because of the amount of snow or the vagueness of location, Gramaglia said.

"We believe there were some credible 911 calls that contained more information ... low single digit numbers, that's again why we're going to concentrate our efforts on hitting those areas," he told reporters.

In Erie County, 17 of the people who died in the blizzard were found outside and four were in a vehicle , according to County Executive Mark Poloncarz.

Several people died because of a delay receiving emergency services or from cardiac events related to shoveling or blowing snow. Of the deaths, nine were people who died because they had no heat in their homes, he said.

Poloncarz said in a tweet Wednesday night that 500 National Guard members have conducted nearly 850 welfare checks on residents who had longterm power outages.

Power was being restored to New York, and by early Thursday, about 400 customers in the state were without electricity, according to PowerOutage.us .

In Buffalo, where more than 20,000 customers were without power at one point during the storm, only three had no electricity Wednesday night, according to Brown, the mayor.

On Wednesday, city offices, facilities and roadways opened, as temperatures rose into the 40s across parts of New York.

Buffalo Niagara International Airport, which has been closed since Friday , reopened Wednesday.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Wednesday night that all major state highways in western New York, including the Erie County portion of Interstate 190 and several state routes, would reopen at midnight.

“I am extremely grateful to all the highway maintenance workers, first responders and emergency service staff who continue to work tirelessly to help their fellow New Yorkers," Hochul said in a statement .   

The temperature is expected to continue climbing to the low-50s in the Buffalo region by Friday, and will help melt the accumulated snow, according to the National Weather Service .

Claire Cardona is a breaking news editor for NBC News Digital.

Saturday brings more snow, leaving some areas buried under 6 feet

On Friday, the National Weather Service expected snow totals of around two feet. Now, on Saturday, snow totals have already reached 77 inches in Orchard Park (6.4 feet) and 73.7 inches (6.14 feet) in Hamburg.

While NWS is reporting only 3.3 inches in Tonawanda, as of Erie County's 6 a.m. update, the expectation is that the snow is now moving northward, and areas that were not hit as badly Thursday and Friday can expect more snow Saturday.

• Lake Effect Snow Warnings are still in place through Sunday for several counties including Erie and Niagara
• Winter Weather Advisories are in effect for Wyoming, Allegany, Orleans, and McKean (PA) counties through Sunday.
• A State of Emergency in Erie County continues indefinitely
• A Travel Ban is in effect for most of Erie County— but has been downgraded to just an advisory in several locations.

Erie County Travel Ban

As of 3 p.m. travel ban is in effect for the City of Buffalo south of William Street, Hamburg, Evans, Eden, Boston, Orchard Park, Aurora, Wales, Marilla, Elma, West Seneca, Cheektowaga, Lancaster, and Alden. All other parts of Erie County are under a travel advisory.

"We are making progress in the city of Buffalo, but there is still a long way to go. We have had a snow ban set up for an extended period of time, as you know, in South Buffalo, dumping over four feet of snow," Mayor Byron Brown said.

Another eight to 10 inches are expected through 1 a.m. Sunday in the City of Buffalo.

"So we are coming to the end, hopefully, of this event, if the forecasts that we've received are correct," Brown added.

Erie County continues to provide updates every few hours on their YouTube channel.

“The vast majority of Erie County residents have done the right thing and stayed off the roads,” Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said in a tweet Friday. “Unfortunately, it only takes one to two vehicles to tie up plow and first responder crews. Please stay home.”

WNY Travel Bans & Advisories

Niagara County: No travel advisories are in effect and there are no plans to institute any, according to Niagara County Director of Emergency Services Jonathan Schultz.  

“We will continue to closely monitor the storm and be prepared to take any actions regarding travel and safety should they be deemed necessary,” Schultz said in a statement.  

Genesee County: No travel advisories are in effect, but the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office is asking residents to stay home so that emergency personnel can travel more easily.

 “Please remember that even if it is not snowing where you are, the destination you are traveling to may have poor visibility and heavy snow accumulation,” Genesee County Sheriff William Sheron said in a statement posted to Facebook. “The best and safest option for you and your loved ones is to stay home until the snowstorm passes.”  

Chautauqua County: No travel advisories are in effect, but officials are reminding Chautauqua County residents to postpone or cancel non-essential travel, drive slowly, keep 200 feet behind snow plows and keep an emergency kit and cell phone with them if driving, according to a Thursday news release .  

“With this storm, drivers should be prepared for areas of snow-covered roads and poor visibility,” Chautauqua County Sheriff James Quattrone said in a statement. “If you must travel, drivers are urged to slow down and use caution when traveling on slick or snow-covered roads.” 

You can find more information for your county by clicking here:

• Erie County - http://www2.erie.gov/
• Niagara County - http://niagaracounty.com/
• Chautauqua County - http://chautauqua.ny.us/
• Cattaraugus County - http://www.cattco.org/
• Orleans County - http://www.orleansny.com/
• Wyoming County - http://www.wyomingco.net/
• Allegany County - https://www.alleganyco.gov/
• Genesee County - http://www.co.genesee.ny.us/

NFTA & Colleges

As of Saturday morning, the NFTA says buses are not running in Erie and Niagara counties, except for Paratransit but the NFTA is asking riders to reschedule if possible.

Erie County Community South Campus is being used as a snow dump by the county, and North Campus is being utilized for staging rescue crews.

National Guard Deployed & State Efforts

Governor Kathy Hochul has deployed the National Guard to assist in Erie County's efforts.

The National Guard has arrived at @ErieCountyNY 's Emergency Operations Center. They are being sent out to pickup and deliver people whom require dialysis. Thanks @GovKathyHochul for calling them up to help with the response efforts. pic.twitter.com/jPlxXk8biF — Mark Poloncarz (@markpoloncarz) November 19, 2022

In advance of the storm, Gov. Hochul on Thursday urged residents in Western New York to stay home

“We’re expecting upwards of two to four feet. It’s not just the volume, two to four feet the first night, we could possibly see anywhere from four to six feet between now and Sunday. It is the rate of snow that is most concerning,” Hochul said.

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Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz » ERIE COUNTY UPDATES TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS AS OF FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18 AT 8 A.M.

ERIE COUNTY UPDATES TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS AS OF FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18 AT 8 A.M.

Modified: November 18, 2022 12:00pm

Latest News

Travel Advisory in effect for City of Buffalo and Towns of Brant, Colden, Collins, Concord, Holland, North Collins and Sardinia

ERIE COUNTY, NY— Following continued reviews of road conditions and weather forecasts, Erie County has updated its travel restrictions as of 8 a.m. on Friday, November 18.

The City of Buffalo and the Towns of Brant, Colden, Collins, Concord, Holland, North Collins and Sardinia are now under a Travel Advisory. Link to updated map .

The City of Tonawanda and the Towns of Amherst, Clarence, Newstead and Grand Island were shifted to a Travel Advisory as of 6 a.m. this morning.

Due to treacherous road conditions and expected heavy snowfall, a Travel Ban remains in effect for the remainder of Erie County, as shown on this map.

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All The Travel Bans + Advisories in Western New York

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The snow is coming down in Western New York today and it was coming down fast earlier this morning. A lot of towns and villages have issued travel advisories and bans in order to get out the plows and services to make sure that the roads are safe to travel on.

This morning, traffic was, as you can imagine EXTREMELY light. There were very few cars out on the road for most of the morning. Where are the travel bans and advisories in Western New York? What is the difference between a travel ban and a travel advisory?

TRAVEL BANS:

• Niagara Falls
• North Tonawanda

When there is a travel ban, that means absolutely no unnecessary travel until further notice. North Tonawanda's travel ban will last through 6 pm today.

TRAVEL ADVISORY: 

• All of Niagara County

Travel advisory means that you should not travel unless you have to. Residents are encouraged to restrict non-essential travel for the duration of today's snow event.

The wind is really going to become an issue later on today as well. Wind gusts are expected to reach close to 30 in the City of Buffalo and between 30 and 40 miles per hour for the rest of Western New York. As of this morning, the Buffalo had over 15 inches of snowfall so far. More snow is expected later today. So, when the wind really gets going, visibility is going to get very bad later this afternoon.

At one point last night, you could look outside and see no snow at all, but then just a couple of hours later see nearly a foot. For a couple of hours, the snow was falling at approximately 4 inches per hour.

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