Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The lake effect wallop in the Southtowns on Monday caught many by surprise.
"It was bad timing," said Elizabeth Carey with the AAA of Western New York. "It hit as everyone was driving home from work at the same time."
The lake effect dumped up to 16 inches of snow on the Southtowns from Eden to Hamburg, Orchard Park and East Aurora. The band of snow pushed farther North than originally anticipated.
It led to a big jump in call volume for roadside assistance.
"At one point, there was a three hour delay for service, even though we had extra crews working. It was a matter of getting to everyone," she said. Multiple cars were off the road on the 219 and the 90.
Calls on Monday were up up 155% compared to an average November day. And up 36% compared to last year when the big "Snovember" storm hit.
Tuesday morning, things were slightly better. There was about a two hour delay for service during morning rush hour.
"Most of the calls were for people stuck in heavy snow or for vehicles that had gone off the road."
Carey said crews are preparing for more calls as the lake effect band is expected to shift north later Tuesday.
"This first taste of winter is a good time to remind people to have good tires on your vehicle. That's the one thing that connects your vehicle to the road. Other items to have in your car include a snow brush, shovel, jumper cables, a cell phone charger, a blanket, and snacks.
