weather

The Sheriff's Office has just announced a travel ban for Genesee County.

More details when they become available.

Official announcement:

Effective immediately, the previously issued travel advisory is being upgraded to a travel ban for all of Genesee County until further notice. A travel ban means no travel for anyone but emergency vehicles which includes police, ambulance, snow plows, etc. Blowing and drifting snow are creating impassable roads. In addition, accidents and stranded vehicles are blocking roadways and creating unsafe traveling conditions for motorists.

Sheriff Maha stated, “For the safety of the residents of Genesee County, please stay home or where you are until conditions improve.”

UPDATE: We spoke with Chief Deputy Gordon Dibble, who reiterated that the purpose of the travel ban is to get all non-essential traffic off the road. That means, of course, stay home, but it also means stay where you are. If you're at work, stay at work. The travel ban will remain in place until the weather emergency is over. The storm is supposed to lift in the morning. Dibble compared this blizzard to 1977, which came on without warning and there was no end in sight. For the blizzard of '14, we had advance warning and we seem to have a definitive end time. "We've seen it coming for days. There's no reason for people not to be prepared," Dibble said. Driving in violation of the travel ban could lead to a citation, not to mention an accident or getting stranded.

Here's an idea of what near zero-visibility looks like at Main and Ellicott. Driving conditions are tough and for the most part, there isn't a lot of traffic on area roads.

James Koenig shoveling his drive on Summit Street.

Daniel Wilson shoveling his drive on Vine Street.

Holland Land Office Museum.

The old Firehouse on West Main.

The County Court House, which is closed today.

The back of St. Jerome's.

In addition to closures we reported yesterday, we've received notice of the following closures and cancellations:

• Upstate Cardiology of WNY, Dr. Mishra's office will be closed today.
• Lamb Family Medicine is closed today.
• Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County offices will be closed today. All meetings scheduled for this evening have also been cancelled. Please stay inside, safe and warm. We will be available via e-mail for any questions/concerns.
• The Alzheimer's Association, WNY Chapter, is CLOSED today (Tues. Jan 7). Those needing help can reach a trained professional for confidential guidance at 1.800.272.3900.
• Le Roy Physical Therapy and Village Fitness in Le Roy will be CLOSED today.
• Sports Plus Physical Therapy in Batavia will also be closed today.
• From UMMC: A Travel Advisory is in effect, no unnecessary travel at this time. All non-patient care related departments are NOT to report for duty today. Specific departments are listed on the UMMC Web site at www.ummc.org. All patient care departments including Nursing, Emergency Department,  Lab, Radiology, Respiratory Therapy, Switchboard, Food Services, EKG/ECHO, Facilities Management and Environmental Services are to report as scheduled.
• Dr. Basra's office will be closed Tuesday.
• Pembroke Town Hall and Pembroke Town Court.
• Bergen Town Hall & the Byron-Bergen Public Library.
• Suzanne's School of Dance.
• The Genesee County YMCA is open as of 8:30 AM but all classes are cancelled until noon.
• Display Development is closed.
• Hot Heads Salon in Le Roy is closed.
• L&L Transmissions is closed.
• Benny's Barber Shop
• Batavia Youth Center
• Oliver's Candies is closed for the day.
• Settlers is closing at 10 a.m.
• Jagged Edges Salon
• Millennium Computers
• Cain's Taekwondo is cancelling all evening classes
• The Town of Batava Planning Board has cancelled it's meeting for tonight. The public hearing has been rescheduled for Jan. 21.
• Dunn Tire
• Batavia Animal Hospital
• Salon VIP
• Boy Scouts Batavia Service Center

UPDATE 11:53 a.m.: With travel ban in place, there's no point in updating closures further. Everything is close that isn't related to emergency services.

For more closures, visit WBTA's closure page. E-mail closures and cancellations to howard@thebatavian.com.

Also, the Wyoming County Sheriff's Office has issued a travel advisory.

UPDATE 6:59 a.m.: A one-vehicle rollover with possible entrapment is reported on Fotch Road.

Also, a deputy is out on Route 77 near the Flying J dealing with double-parked semi-trucks that are blocking travel. At least three may be disabled. He's requested the parking lot of Pembroke High School be cleared of snow so the trucks can relocate to that location.

Numerous trucks are parked in the area of Texaco Town.

UPDATE 7:13 a.m.: The driver on Fotch Road is out of the vehicle. Route 77 at Flying J is partially cleared of parked trucks and is passable again.

UPDATE 7:15 a.m.: The Thruway is closed west of Exit 50.

UPDATE 9:26 a.m.: Route 20 westbound was closed by Pavilion Fire Police at Texaco Town and eastbound was shut down by Alexander Fire Police, in an effort to get some of the big rigs on that roadway. Regarding the Thruway, exits 60 and 61 are closed and traffic is advised to stay off exits 50-55. Traffic will be diverted to eastbound. To handle the congestion of tractor-trailers and get them off the roadways, the Thruway Authority plans to bring in trucks to plow the parking lot at Darien Lake Amusement Park and direct them to park in there. Also, the Thruway Authority has put out a warning about closed exits and is using traffic alert signs to communicate this to drivers. It's advised to avoid driving anywhere unless it's absolutely necessary.

Your best best over the next day or two, according to county officials, is stay home.

Both Tim Yaeger, the county's emergency management coordinator, and Tim Hens, the county highway superintendent, made that point in conversations this evening about the anticipated weather conditions over the next 36 to 48 hours.

The Sheriff's Office has issued a travel advisory, advising residents to avoid unnecessary travel.  Some white-out conditions have already been reported in some parts of the county, according to the advisory.

The governor has declared a state of emergency for Western New York and is mobilizing additional resources to help the 11-county area.

The National Weather Service has upgraded the weather outlook to blizzard conditions with up to three feet of snow, driven by strong winds and the weather danger increased by frightfully cold temperatures.

"The best thing people can do is stay off the roads," Yaeger said. "Make sure you have supplies; be prepared to stay home for at least two days. If you do lose power, use caution, watch your generators to make sure the exhaust area is kept clear and be careful with candles. People need to understand that there will be a delayed response by fire and EMS and law enforcement. We just hope everybody is extra careful tonight and through tomorrow night."

Hens, who shares some of the responsibility for keeping the snow off of roadways in the county, also urged residents to stay home.

"It's going to be at least 24 or 36 hours, so I hope people have enough at home to stay put for a while," Hens said.

Drivers getting stuck can make it harder on plow truck drivers and impede their ability to keep the roads clear, which can be a challenge in storms of lesser strength.

County workers are ready to work full shifts over the course of the storm. For most winter weather events, there might be a break in plowing in the middle of the night, but Hens said the plan is for crews to plow all night long tonight.

Once a roadway gets lost to a snow drift, "it's hard to get it back," Hens said. "Snow drifts can get hard like concrete."

That said, if there are prolonged stretches of zero visibility, it can become too dangerous for the plow drivers to be out on the roads and crews may need to take a break.

"It's been a long time since we had a storm of this magnitude," Hens said. "I've been with the county for 15 years and we haven't had a blizzard, by definition, in those 15 years."

Yaeger said that from an emergency response standpoint, the county is ready, though at this point there is no emergency command post set up.

"We'll watch it hour-by-hour," Yaeger said.

Cuomo is also calling in extra resources for all of WNY. There will be 420 additional plow trucks brought in from the Southern Tier and Central New York and an additional 1,000 state personnel on hand to deal with the emergency. 

The Thruway Authority and Department of Transportation are preemptively closing some roadways, though none in Genesee County.

"We have experience with snow in Western New York, though this is something different," Cuomo said in a teleconference this evening. "It's snow, but it's also extraordinary arctic cold and winds that we think will make the storm extremely dangerous."

Cuomo encouraged residents to check on their neighbors, especially elderly neighbors, and ensure they have what they need to weather the storm.

"We'll get through this because we're New Yorkers," Cuomo said. "We take a tough situation and we handle it."

This post will stick to the top of the home page today and we will keep it as updated as we possibly can with weather-related incidents. Other news stories, if any, will continue to be published as normal, so scroll down. Also, scroll down for our post listing cancellations that we know about.

UPDATE 4:20 p.m.: A vehicle skidded down a steep embankment after exiting the westbound Route 490 at the Le Roy exit at Vallance Road. The female driver is said to be in and out of consciousness, possibly due to a medical issue. Le Roy fire and ambulance service are responding.

UPDATE 4:42 p.m. (by Howard): Photo of what it looked like downtown about 10 minutes ago.

UPDATE 5:38 p.m. (by Howard): A blizzard warning is effect until 6 a.m., Wednesday. Snow accumulations of 6 to 12 inches tonight, 9 to 17 inches Tuesday and 1 to 3 inches Tuesday night. Gusts up to 45 mph with visibility near zero. Wind chill below 30 degrees. Numerous roadways will be covered throughout Tuesday. Up to four inches of snowfall per hour are possible at times in the heaviest bands of lake effect snow. High winds will create drifting and blowing snow. Whiteout conditions are expected at times.

UPDATE 6:09 p.m. (by Billie): Route 98 is shut down at Lockport and Oak Orchard roads because of a motor-vehicle accident, unknown injuries, at Quaker Hill and Lockport roads. Elba fire is on scene, Mercy medics arrived non-emergency.

UPDATE 7:55 p.m.: There are three cars off the roadway in the area of Daws Corners. One is unoccupied. Civilians are on scene trying to help and a tow is in route. A trooper is on scene.

UPDATE 8 p.m.: There's a report of a car off the road on Route 77 with an unconscious driver. Darien fire dispatched.

UPDATE 8:02 p.m.: Town of Batavia is responding to a report of a truck off the Thruway. Unknown injuries.

UPDATE 8:05 p.m.: A milk truck half full of milk has overturned on Route 20 near Roanoke Road. The driver is uninjured but is unable to get out of the vehicle. Another car is reported off the road, Route 77, Darien.

UPDATE 8:13 p.m.: Route 20 being closed at Texaco Town and at Pavilion Center Road. A chief says, "it's a complete whiteout up here."

UPDATE 8:18 p.m.: A truck is off the road, partially blocking Route 20 between Smithley and Attica roads.

UPDATE 8:21 p.m.: Photo above of West Main Street, Batavia, at 7:15 p.m.. A Pembroke chief reports a lot of trucks backed up on the westbound Thruway.

UPDATE 8:27 p.m.: To keep up with the latest news on cancellations and closings, click here. We just added a closing for Wyoming County: grand jury postponed for a day.

UPDATE 8:43 p.m.: There's a wrecker coming for the milk truck. Route 20 should reopen in about five minutes. A deputy just cleared a call and asked if there were more calls. "Yeah, a lot of them. One at 20 and Harlow, 20 and 77, though a wrecker's coming for that one."

UPDATE 8:52 p.m.: The tow for the milk truck is coming from Farmington. It has another truck to pump out first. Pavilion is clearing the scene until the tow arrives and Route 20 is being reopened until the tow arrives.

UPDATE 8:56 p.m.: The tow from Farmington is now NOT coming. The Pavilion chief asks if there's a local tow. A dispatcher is checking. The truck (or its cargo) weighs 84,000 pounds.

UPDATE 8:58 p.m.: Genesee County Emergency Services has requested that all volunteer fire departments man their halls with a crew for at least one engine through the next 24 hours.

UPDATE 9:02 p.m.: A Pembroke chief advises dispatchers that truckers are lining up, parked, on the east side of Route 77 near the Flying J.

UPDATE 9:13 p.m.: A truck is off the road in the area of 471 Route 5, partially blocking.

UPDATE 9:23 p.m.: No local tow for the milk truck. When the boss gets their the driver and the boss will talk it over. They may just leave the truck for now.

UPDATE 9:28 p.m.: The on-again-off-again local tow for the milk truck may be on again in about 20 minutes.

UPDATE 9:31 p.m.: A car is in a ditch off Route 20 near Route 63. Two occupants. No injuries reported.

UPDATE 9:49 p.m.: Pavilion fire dispatched to Burley Hill for traffic control because a truck is disabled and blocking multiple lanes.

UPDATE 9:51 p.m.: A trooper trying to find the car in the ditch off Route 20 reported "it's complete whiteout conditions out here." 

UPDATE 9:52 p.m.: The driver of the car says she sees an SUV nearby in a ditch with its four-ways on. The trooper now on scene reports four cars off the road. The dispatcher reports, "she's excited to see you." The trooper replies, "and I'm excited to see them, too."

UPDATE 9:55 p.m.: The trooper reports the car isn't really in the ditch, but there's a lot of snow and no visibility, so the driver is just staying put for now. They do have a baby on board. The trooper is checking on the other cars.

UPDATE 9:59 p.m.: The trooper is giving a woman driver a ride home and picking up the two women with a child. "They're not going anywhere fast."

UPDATE 10:14 p.m.: There's much less activity now. Unless circumstances change, we're suspending updates to this post. (Time to try get some sleep and be ready for tomorrow.)

UPDATE 10:45 p.m.: There's a water main break on Ross Street. Route 63 is reopened. 

UPDATE 10:48 p.m.: They can't offload the milk. It's not leaking. The owner is considering just leaving it until the weather clears. A GCSO supervisor says that's fine if it isn't a hazard. The deputy and owner are going to discuss it some more. There are now two heavy wreckers and a service truck in route to that location from a another call.

Cancellations we know about:

• Due to severe weather conditions, all Genesee County grand jurors summoned for Tuesday, January 7, 2014 are directed NOT to report as scheduled. Genesee County grand jury service has been postponed to Tuesday, January 14, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. Grand jurors summoned to appear must report to the Genesee County Courts Facility, Second Floor, One West Main Street, Batavia, New York on Tuesday, January 14, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. More information is available at the Genesee County Commissioner of Jurors Office at 585-344-2550 ext. 2296 or www.nycourts.gov
• Due to the winter storm expected to strike the Western New York region beginning the evening of January 6, 2014, the US Department of State’s Buffalo Passport Agency will be closed all day January 7, 2014. We expect to reopen to the public at 10AM on Wednesday, January 8.
• American Legion Post 626 Oakfield-Alabama has cancelled its meeting.
• The Alabama Fire Department has cancelled bingo for tonight.
• 4-H activities for tonight have been cancelled.
• The Village of Corfu budget meeting scheduled for tonight is cancelled.
• The Haxon Library in Oakfield is closed. It will be closed tomorrow if school is cancelled.
• The Chamber of Commerce Office will be closed tomorrow, Tuesday.
• Batavia City Schools has cancelled it's board meeting.
• City Schools have cancelled classes tomorrow.
• The Rotary basketball tournament is postponed.
• United Memorial has closed its URGENT CARE facility in Batavia early tonight due to the weather. The emergency room at 127 North Street is open.
• Oakfield-Alabama Central Schools will be closed tomorrow, Tuesday, January 7th including all afterschool and evening activities.
• St. Joes is closed tomorrow.
• The Alabama Town Hall will be closed Tuesday, January 7, 2014.  This includes the Town Clerk and Assessor offices and Court.
• Wyoming County District Attorney Donald O'Geen requested we post the following announcement because of its importance and it might get overshadowed by other news: Due to severe weather conditions, all Wyoming County Grand Jurors summoned for Tuesday, January 7, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. are to report on Wednesday, January 8, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. Grand Jurors should report Wednesday to the Courthouse at 147 North Main Street, Warsaw, NY. If you have any questions, please contact the Wyoming County Commissioner of Jurors Office at 585‑786‑8756 or www.nycourts.gov
• Genesee County Chapter NYSARC Day Hab Programs and Workshop are closed Tuesday.
• The Genesee County YMCA, 209 East Main St. will open at 8:30 AM, Tuesday, January 7, 2014.
• From UMMC: ALL OUTPATIENT SERVICES, including URGENT CARE and OUTPATIENT SURGERY (same day surgery) will be closed, on Tuesday, January 7th due to weather. Employees of these areas should remain home unless notified by their leader to come in to work. The closure includes: Jerome Center Diagnostics; LeRoy Diagnostics; Pembroke Diagnostics, Outpatient Lab and Outpatient Medical Imaging at 127 North Street; the Wound Care Center; the Pain Center;Cardiology and Internal Medicine practice; Batavia Family Care; Tountas Family Care, LeRoy Care; Batavia Urgent Care; The Corporate Health Center; the Women's Care Centers in Medina and Batavia; the Cancer and Infusion Center; Surgical Associates Office for Drs. Froix, Zucchiatti and DiBenedetto; Cardiac Rehab; Outpatient Echo and EKG.

For a list of cancellations on WBTA's web site, click here.

If you have a cancellation, e-mail info to howard@thebatavian.com.

The National Weather Service has upgraded the severity of the storm expected to hit Genesee County on Monday and Tuesday, issuing a prediction of up to two feet of snow over a nearly 48-hour period.

The wind chill factor will be as low as 30 degrees below zero.

The lake effect snow warning is in effect from 11 a.m., Monday to 6 a.m., Wednesday and the wind chill warning starts at 6 p.m., Monday and goes through 6 p.m., Tuesday.

The storm will start Monday with 1 to 3 inches of snow, 6 to 11 inches Monday night, 9 to 17 inches Tuesday and an inch or less Tuesday night.

The heaviest snow will be south of Route 20.

With winds of 20 to 30 mph, visibility will be less than a few hundred feet at times.

"Travel will become very difficult to near impossible, with snow covered roads and localized whiteout conditions due to heavy lake effect snow along with considerable blowing and driving snow," the weather service predicts, adding, "dangerously cold wind chills will pose a risk for frost bite and hypothermia for anyone outside for even very short periods of time. This is life-threatening cold for those not in shelter."

UPDATE 12:42 p.m.: The National Weather Service has added a high wind warning for 1 a.m. to 10 a.m., Monday, with winds of 25 to 35 mph and gusts up to 60 mph.

Jim Fasano was out clearing away the snow around Ascension Parish Church on South Swan Street this morning.

Fasano said the church's regular maintenance man had to go into the hospital for surgery, so all of the parishioners are pitching in and helping with the upkeep of the church and grounds.

"It's a big job," Fasano said.

The National Weather Service reports the current temperature in Batavia is 2 degrees. A wind chill advisory remains in effect until noon, and a new advisory has been issued for 9 tonight through 4 a.m., Saturday.

The forecast further out is for potential heavy lake effect snow Monday or Tuesday and continued cold and wind chill. The chance of snow for Monday and Tuesday is listed at 50 percent.

Frost bite and hypothermia are possible in as little as 15 minutes for people not properly dressed for the weather, so the National Weather Service is urging people to use common sense.

If going outside, dress in layers of clothing, cover skin, minimize exposure to the cold weather.

The weather service says this morning is bringing temperatures in the low single digits for the area with a wind child factor of 10 to 20 below zero.

"If you are planning to venture out this morning," the weather service says, "use common sense."

Batavia was hit with a full blast of winter today with cold, wind and snow, but life went on.

The National Weather Service issued an advisory for this evening indicating we can expect more of the same overnight and travel conditions could be difficult.

Above, Shaun Coburn, a carrier for the Batavia Daily News, delivers papers on Lincoln Avenue.

Tim Kemp, on Lewis Avenue.

Postal carrier Donna Buckenmeyer delivers mail on Lewis Avenue.

Rick Adams on Ellsworth Avenue.

The weather can only be described as nasty. It's 10 degrees, about four or five inches of snow is falling and it's still coming. The breeze is strong enough to add a pretty strong bite to the already low temperature.

And more is on the way. The winter storm warning remains in effect through tomorrow.

Press release:

Due to the Wind Chill Advisory in our area for the next two days, the Batavia Youth Center will be closed today and tomorrow (Jan. 2, 3). It is not safe for the children to be out and exposed to these cold temperatures. The Youth Bureau and Youth Center will resume normal business hours on Monday, January 6, 2014. 

UPDATES:

• Red Osier in Stafford is closing tonight due to weather.
• The county's swearing-in ceremony scheduled for this evening has been postponed and will take place Tuesday.

The National Weather Service has revised its estimate for our weather over the next 24 hours, raising its alert from an advisory to a winter storm warning.

Heavy snow with a bit of wind is expected now through 6 a.m., Friday. From 4 to 8 inches of snow could fall today and another 2 to 4 inches tonight.

There's a wind chill advisory in effect from 4 p.m. until noon, Friday, with wind chill of 15 to 20 degrees below zero.

Winds will be 10 to 20 mph creating, at times, visibility under a half mile.

Travel will be difficult at times, the weather service warns. Use caution.

Cold, wind and snow are in the forecast for this evening, though snowfall will be no more than four inches, according to the National Weather Service.

The wind chill factor will make it feel like it's 15 to 20 degrees below zero.

Winds of 15 to 25 mph will create blowing snow and add to possible white-out conditions. Visibility could be down to a half a mile at times.

Use caution when traveling and dress warmly.

There's no ball drop in Batavia, but it should still be noted that if you're celebrating New Year's Eve outside tonight, dress warmly.

The National Weather Service says an Arctic air mass moved across the lower Great Lakes last night and will remain in place for the next couple of days.

The cold air combined with gusty winds this afternoon and evening will making it feel bitterly, bitterly cold.

The wind chill factor will bring temperatures down to low single digits and as cold as -5 in some areas.

The NWS advises anybody outside during this time to dress in layers of clothing, which help trap body heat better than a single layer.

You should also wear a hat because significant body head can be lost through your head.

A lake effect snow advisory for Genesee County had been issued by the National Weather Service from 4 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday. Three to five inches of snow are possible, with a quick burst of lake effect snow expected Tuesday morning, and winds are expected to be 15 to 25 mph out of the Southwest. Visibility may be as low as a half mile at times.

The weather service says travel conditions will quickly deteriorate with snow-covered roads and poor visibility in snow and blowing snow.

With lake effect snow, the weather can vary from locally heavy snow in narrow bands to clear skies just a few miles away. If traveling across the region, be prepared for rapid changes in road and visibility conditions.

The hazardous weather advisory says:

"An area of low pressure moving from the Ohio Valley to the mid-Atlantic and Southern New England will bring widespread accumulating snow to the region Wednesday night through Friday. Very cold weather will persist much of the week from Tuesday night through Friday. Wind chills will occasionally become very cold -- especially toward the end of the week."

A county worker clears snow from the sidewalks around County Building #1 and the Old Courthouse following this morning's mild snow shower. More snow is expected over the next 24 hours or so with as much as an inch accumulation.

There are still nine locations in Genesee County where homes are without power, but no major outages. At any one location, no more than five National Grid customers are without power.

Over the weekend, according to National Grid spokesman Steve Brady, at one time or another, 5,000 customers in Genesee County were without power.

Most power outages were resolved within less than 10 hours, often much less.

"Yes, Mother Nature's Christmas surprise has kept us hopping," Brady said.

National Grid is offering dry ice and bottled water to any customers who are still without power until 6 p.m. today at the Orleans County Emergency Management Office, 14064 W. County House Road, Albion.

When the Tonawanda Creek crested at 11.94 feet at 6:30 p.m. yesterday, it wasn't anywhere near its historical high.

In March, 1942, the river overflowed at 14.5, making the resulting flood the worst in Batavia history.

It caused an estimated $500,000 damage and put many people out of their homes for days.

Greg Brockway, of Pembroke, brought in these two pictures this morning from the 1942 flood.  They were taken on the Southside in the area of the Jackson School showing Hutchings, Otis and Swan.

The last time the Tonawanda crested over 12 feet (considered the major flood level) was 1998 when it hit 12.44. It hit 11.71 in December 2008, and twice in 2009 it exceeded 10.5 feet, once in February and again in March.

The creek has crested at more than 10 feet on 24 ocassions in the more than 60 years the National Weather Service has been measuring creek levels.