Buffalo, NY (WBEN) New York Governor Kathy Hochul, in a WBEN interview Wednesday afternoon, stated she would be issuing a state of emergency for Western New York Thursday morning at 10am as lake effect snow bands are forecast to shift north into Metro Buffalo.
The New York State Thruway from Rochester to the Pennsylvania state line will also be closed to commercial vehicles as of Thursday at 4pm.
"We've seen what happens when trucks can jackknife on the freeway and literally paralyze it, stranding people for days," says Hochul. The closure begins at 4pm from the Pennsylvania border all the way to Rochester exit 46. She says whether the Thruway will be closed to all traffic depends on visibility. "We're not anticipating blizzard type conditions, you're not getting to that you're not gonna be 50-60 mile an hour winds, it's more like 25 to 30. But there is going to be a fast pace of snowfall, you know, three inches an hour is an awful lot," notes Hochul. She urges you to stay off the roads Friday and Saturday to help crews out.
Hochul is bringing extra resources to help with snow removal efforts. "We'll have over 350 snowplows and blowers and we'll have 600 people. I've brought in another 100 people, engineers, mechanics, Snowplow operators on top of 500 we already have," adds Hochul. She says the state will bring its stockpiles to deploy, from generators.to snowmobiles and ATVs for search and rescue, to salt and fuel supply to handle any need.
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Hochul says now is the time for you to prepare as well. "Today's the day to get to the store, fill up the gas tank and buy the batteries and groceries, make sure you have blankets, and be ready to check on your neighbors and people who have pets make sure everybody's taken care of," says Hochul.
