The storm prompted emergency and disaster declarations in New York and Pennsylvania, with officials warning of hazardous conditions for travelers in the Great Lakes, Plains, and Midwest regions.
Bitterly cold temperatures, up to 20 degrees below average, swept across the Northern Plains, prompting cold advisories in parts of North Dakota. These frigid conditions were expected to spread across the eastern U.S. by Monday.
The storm dumped nearly two feet of snow in parts of New York, Ohio, and Michigan, with Pennsylvania’s northwestern region recording 29 inches.
By early Saturday, Buffalo reported 12 to 18 inches of snow in towns surrounding Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, with 24 inches in some areas near the Pennsylvania border.
More snow was expected throughout the weekend, with snowfall rates of 3-4 inches per hour in Jefferson County, New York. Cleveland, Ohio, was forecast to see 6 to 18 inches of new snow, stretching from Ohio to the Pennsylvania-New York state line by Tuesday.
The National Weather Service warned that travel could become difficult to impossible in these areas as snowfall intensified through the early week.
In parts of New York, snow fell at rates of up to three inches per hour, causing major visibility issues and burying vehicles. Governor Kathy Hochul assured residents that the state was prepared, deploying snowplows and workers to clear roads.
Pennsylvania’s Governor Josh Shapiro declared a disaster emergency, with Erie County receiving nearly two feet of snow. Pennsylvania State Police responded to nearly 200 incidents within a 24-hour period.
In Erie, Pennsylvania, snow and icy conditions caused road closures, limiting travel to emergency responders. Stranded travelers sought shelter in hotels, with some taking refuge in the Holiday Inn near I-90. Snow shovelers were also sought by the NFL’s Buffalo Bills ahead of their game on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers.
In Michigan, lake-effect snow from Lake Superior buried parts of the Upper Peninsula under more than two feet of snow. Areas like Ironwood and Munising received over 27 inches, with additional snow expected.
Gaylord, Michigan, set a new single-day snowfall record of 24.8 inches, surpassing the previous record of 17 inches set in 1942. This heavy snow was a boon for local ski resorts, such as Treetops Resort, which benefited from the natural snowfall in preparation for the season opener.