Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN/AccuWeather) - The gales of November are here! Western New York is along the path of a potentially damaging line of fierce wind that is crossing the region Sunday.
The rapidly strengthening storm is predicted to spawn high winds that could lead to power outages and property damage in the Midwest and northeastern United States and flooding along the shores of the Great Lakes spanning late Saturday to Monday.
The new storm formed over the Great Plains on Saturday, and AccuWeather meteorologists said that it is a spin-off from a potent storm that slammed the Northwest on Friday with winds greater than 90 mph, heavy rain and mountain snow.
A High Wind Warning and Lakeshore Flood Warning are posted for the Western New York region Sunday with winds forecast from 25 to 45 mph and gusts to 65 mph possible.
The infamous storm that sunk the Edmond Fitzgerald in November 45 years ago is an example of how powerful this type of storm can become. Forecasters urged shipping interests on the Great Lakes to take the weekend storm threat seriously. Small craft advisories and gale watches were posted for the Great Lakes and will go in effect from Saturday evening through Monday morning.
"A broad area of wind gusts ranging between 40 and 50 mph are forecast to extend from Missouri, Iowa and Wisconsin to Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York state," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said.
"A swath of stronger winds ranging between 50 and 60 mph is forecast from central Illinois to western and central New York state with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ wind gust of 75 mph centered around lakes Erie and Ontario from Sunday to Sunday night," Anderson added.
Winds this strong can not only knock down trees, break large tree limbs and lead to regional power outages but can also cause property damage and lakeshore flooding.
Fierce winds could whip water toward the shorelines of the Great Lakes, causing localized flooding concerns.
On Sunday, powerful southwesterly winds could lead to significant lakeshore flooding in Buffalo.
There is the potential for strong storms to ignite from West Virginia and Ohio to the western and central parts of Pennsylvania and New York state. The greatest threat will be from sudden, strong wind gusts, but hail and torrential downpours are also expected to develop in some areas.
