How much snow fell in this weekend? See accumulation totals from Michigan to Buffalo, New York
The first major lake effect snow pounded portions of the Northeast and Midwest this past weekend, with more in the forecast in the coming days.
On Saturday, parts of the New York thruway had been cleared but remained closed while Pennsylvania worked to clear its interstates in the region. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said he called in the state's National Guard to help stranded drivers and signed a disaster declaration in Erie County. He urged people to stay off the roads.
Almost four feet of snow fell in some parts of the Northeast by Sunday and temperatures are expected to be 10 to 15 degrees below normal over parts of the Upper Midwest and the eastern third of the country for days, the National Weather Service said Sunday.
An icy cold flow of air over the relatively warm surfaces of the Great Lakes was forecast to produce additional waves of snow through Tuesday. In New York state, "several feet of snow" was expected in Jefferson County, which borders Lake Ontario.
How much snow did New York state get?
Some of the hardest hit areas so far were in New York state, where several communities reported more than 40 inches of snow. The tiny Jefferson County village of Copenhagen, just east of Lake Ontario, had recorded 46 inches of snow as of early Sunday and was expecting another couple of inches at night.
A 60-mile stretch of the New York State thruway, closed Saturday, was open Sunday but banned commercial vehicles.
Here's a look at some of the astounding snow totals in northern New York state.
How much snow did Michigan get?
Gaylord, Michigan, between Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, had almost 34 inches as of Saturday evening, and snow showers were forecast for every day this week.
How much snow did Pennsylvania get?
In Pennsylvania, parts of interstates 86 and 90 were closed for extended periods during the height of the storm there. Gov.
Josh Shapiro called in the National Guard to help stranded drivers and signed a disaster declaration for Erie County. State Transportation Department official Brian McNulty said the storm presented a "unique challenge" and urged residents in the affected areas to stay off the roads.
“With snow intensities ranging from two to four inches per hour for extended periods of time, we are working as hard as possible to make the roads safe and passable,” McNulty said.
The Lake Erie city of Ashtabula, Ohio, near the Pennsylvania border had 27 inches.
Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at Paste BN. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com.