Truckers will hit more heavy lake-effect snow early this week from the Midwest to the Northeast.
As cold northwesterly winds move across the relatively warmer Great Lakes, new and continuing snow bands will set up mostly in portions of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and northern lower Michigan, as well as northern Ohio, northwestern Pennsylvania and upstate New York. This will impact travel on sections of Interstates 75, 81 and 90.
The highest snow amounts will probably pile up across upstate New York, where the National Weather Service has lake-effect snow warnings in place for Oswego, Lewis, Oneida and Herkimer counties. Places like Oswego, Lowville, Rome and Utica could see up to 24 inches through early Tuesday. Ilion, Herkimer, Little Falls, Mohawk, Frankfort, Dolgeville, Big Moose, Eagle Bay, McKeever, Old Forge, Atwell, Nobleboro and Northwood could see up to 9 inches of snow.
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Many locations south of the warning areas will receive anywhere from 4 to 10 inches, including Rochester, Jamestown, Orchard Park, Watertown and Syracuse, New York, in addition to Erie, Pennsylvania, and Cleveland.
Wind gusts in all the areas mentioned so far will hit 35 to 40 mph, producing blowing snow and periods of whiteout conditions. Also, temperatures will drop into the teens and single digits Monday night, with wind chills in the 20s and 30s below zero. Drivers who aren’t properly covered up while outside could experience frostbite within 10 to 15 minutes.
Lake-effect snow and gusty winds in Michigan will last until early Monday evening, with 3 to 5 inches likely in Sault Ste. Marie, Grand Marais, Munising and Newberry. Meanwhile, look for 1 to 3 inches in Mancelona, Gaylord, Kalkaska and Grayling.
Other notable weather this week
Bitterly cold weather will continue Monday across the Upper Midwest and northern Plains. Wind chills will range from 25 to 50 below zero from northeastern Montana to Michigan, where wind chill warnings and advisories remain posted until around midday.
High winds will be a challenge for truckers Monday and Tuesday in southeastern Wyoming and along the Rocky Mountain Front in western Montana. Gusts will hit 60 to 80 mph, leading to blowing snow and low to no visibility at times, in addition to a high risk of rollovers.
Major lanes of concern
• Interstate 75 from Grayling to Sault Ste. Marie.
• Interstate 81 from Syracuse to the U.S.-Canada border.
• Interstate 90 from Albany, New York, to Cleveland.
Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Nick Austin.
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