West Seneca, N.Y. (WBEN) - It has been a very quiet fall for winter weather across Western New York, with most places across the region not even seeing a single flake fly through this point of the year.
That's about to change.
A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect from Thursday evening starting at 6 p.m. EST and will continue through Friday at 12 p.m. EST for Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua and Wyoming counties. Snow totals could reach 4-to-7 inches, creating some hazardous conditions that could make travel in those areas difficult, at times.
Meanwhile, parts of Erie County and the rest of Western New York could start seeing the snow fall early next week, as temperatures begin to dip starting Tuesday and heading into the Thanksgiving holiday.
Three weeks into the month of November, several in Western New York are surprised at the lack of snow that has fallen this season, but you won't hear too many complaints.
"Buffalo gets a bad rap for snow, and it seems like to me, the last handful of years, we really haven't got much of anything. So I don't know what's going on, but we'll take it," said T.J. Wheeler from West Seneca. "It's not good for the ski slopes, but we'll get ours. They'll be coming."
"10 years ago, we had that big storm, 'Snowvember', and then two years [ago], Hamburg had a big storm. And the Buffalo area, you never can tell what's going to happen," added Bob Guggemos from Depew. "But today, 50 degrees, it's nice out."
Deanna from Boston feels the lack of snow, to this point, has been a nice surprise for a change.
"We used to live in Lackawanna, we worked at Buffalo General. It has taken us three hours for a 10-minute ride, at times, to get to the hospital. So that's not fun," said Deanna in an interview with WBEN.
For Jeanne from Hamburg, she's hoping for another winter similar to the 2011-12 season, where just a total of 36.7 inches of snow fell over the course of five months in the Buffalo area.
"Do you remember the winner with no snow? I think we're going to get another one like that. Wouldn't that be wonderful?" Jeanne said with WBEN.
Despite the surprising lack of snow to fall, to this point, in Western New York, more-and-more residents are as prepared as they will ever be for the upcoming winter season.
"Everything's winterized, the plows are ready, the snow blowers are ready. We're ready, snow tires are on. We're way ahead," Deanna said.
Craig Zolnowski from Colden knows winter will be arriving very soon, so he's finishing up his preparations for the snow to fly.
"Just trying to get equipment ready, snow plowing equipment. Making sure everything runs and is ready to go," Zolnowski said with WBEN.
For folks like Jeanne, living in a spot like Hamburg, you always have to be ready for the snow, especially given recent storms to hit the area.
"I'm from Hamburg, we get seven feet of snow at a time. We can handle it," she said. "And I don't mind it. I'm retired. I don't have to go out in it if I don't want to."
Meanwhile, Guggemos feels one can never really be prepared for the winter, no matter how well the forecasts are able to predict the season.
"I hope I'm good for everything," he said. "I prepare somewhat, but living in this area for the last 78 years, you get used to it and you figure if you're not prepared now, you never will be. It's getting late in November, get ready. It's gonna come sooner or later."
As for Wheeler, he's hoping for a good winner this year. He'd like to hit the slopes and get in some snowboarding, which he says he hasn't been able to do in some time.
"We're so used to it here. You do what you can do, and we're always prepared for the worst. That's how Buffalo is," Wheeler said.
