A frigid air mass will remain in place through the weekend across the Buffalo-Niagara region, with some cloud cover that will actually help insulate us and keep temperatures from going even lower.
CHECK: WBEN Closings!
Northwest winds of 5 to 15 mph and actual air temperatures Friday morning resulted in dangerous wind chills of 15 below to 24 below across Western New York.
A Cold Weather Advisory is posted for the entire Western New York region through Friday morning.
"We have dipped below zero at the airport," National Weather Service meteorologist Dave Thomas tells WBEN. "And when you factor in the wind chills across the region, you're looking at values of negative 15 to as much as negative 25 below zero."
The coldest conditions will abate only slightly after Friday morning, with some modest improvement.
"We're actually going to be trending slightly warmer," Thomas notes. "We're looking at temperatures in the teens through the weekend, but by Monday, highs will likely reach 20 degrees or above."
Slightly warmer, but don't ditch the parka just yet.
Or the shovel!
"There is a little more snow in the forecast," Thomas notes, however it will not be region-wide or significant. "Especially for those who reside along the southern Lake Ontario shoreline, we could see an inch or two through the early part of the weekend, but by Sunday we're down to just a few flurries."
A Winter Weather Advisory remains posted for Orleans County only in the immediate Western New York region.
COLD WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM EST FRIDAY
* WHAT...Bitterly cold wind chills as low as 24 below zero expected.
* WHERE...Erie, Niagara, Orleans, Monroe, Wayne, Northern Cayuga, Oswego, Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston, Ontario, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Allegany Counties.
* WHEN...From 7 PM this evening to 10 AM EST Friday.
* IMPACTS...Bitterly cold wind chills as low as 24 below zero will cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes.
Frostbite and hypothermia will occur if unprotected skin is exposed to these temperatures.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
This is a potentially hazardous situation to be outdoors. If you must be outside, be sure to cover all exposed skin. Frostbite can occur in 30 minutes or less with apparent temperatures of 15 below zero or colder.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM EST SATURDAY
* WHAT...Lake effect snow. Additional snow accumulations 5 to 10 inches in the most persistent lake snows.
* WHERE...Orleans, Monroe, and Wayne Counties. Greatest snow accumulations expected across the northern communities of northeast Monroe and Wayne counties.
* WHEN...Until 10 AM EST Saturday.
* IMPACTS...Travel will be difficult. The hazardous conditions will impact the Friday morning and evening commutes.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...A fluffy snow is expected, with 12- hour period to period amounts of several inches adding up to 5 to 10 inches over the course of the advisory.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Lake effect snow will fall in relatively narrow bands. If traveling, be prepared for rapidly changing road conditions and visibilities.
Submit snow reports through our website or social media.
During lake effect snow, the weather can vary from bands of locally heavy snow with greatly reduced visibilities to dry conditions just a few miles away. Be prepared for rapid changes in weather, visibility, and road conditions.