Rochester is cleaning up from the aftermath of the winter storm that came in Friday and Saturday. The travel advisory for Monroe County has been lifted. However, some homes remain without power and temperatures are still dangerously cold. Here are live updates:
FRIDAY
Power outages (5 a.m.): After the winter storm, some people are still without power in the Rochester area.
According to RG&E, 74 customers in Monroe County and 27 customers in Allegany County are still without power. That’s a drop from more than 20,000 customers without power on Friday afternoon.
According to National Grid, there are nearly 20 customers without power in Monroe and Orleans County. Four homes are still without power around the town of Murry, Orleans County.
No, our crews didn’t cut down a tree to celebrate the holiday. This massive tree on Canandaigua Lake reaching 100ft tall & 3ft+ in diameter unfortunately was damaged by the winter storm. Our field team is still engaged and will continue working until every customer is restored. pic.twitter.com/1DgUUoWzvU
Airport update (5 a.m.): After several cancelations and delays for Friday and Saturday, most flights are back on schedule at the Rochester International Airport. You can see an updated schedule here.
Our Buffalo-area NBC affiliate reports that the Buffalo Niagara International Airport will be closed until 11 a.m. on Tuesday. The airport is closed because of high winds and low visibility.
Latest forecast (5 a.m.): It was the coldest Christmas Day in 22 years for Rochester. The Lake Erie lake squall has been very persistent for the western counties where snow continues to fall in portions of Genesee, Wyoming and Erie Counties.
During these last few days, the Buffalo International Airport has measured an amazing 43 inches of snow. However, the News 10NBC First Alert meteorologists see a significant change coming in the weather pattern. In the coming days, and for the remainder of the year, noticeably warmer weather will make a return.
On Friday night look for passing flurries. Any additional accumulation will be limited to just an inch or two in the western counties. The low temperature will be in the lower teens and skies should become partly cloudy after midnight.
Monday will bring a few breaks of sunshine for the morning with more clouds by the afternoon. It will not be as harsh with much less wind and temperature in the middle 20s.
Tuesday will feature breaks of sun and few flurries west of Rochester. The temperature will be approaching 30 degrees.
Wednesday maybe a few sprinkles or a flurry for the morning, but it should be dry for the afternoon and eventually the temperature will reach near 40 degrees. Thursday will bring a few more spotty rain showers with the temperature in the middle 40s.
It appears the warming trend will continue into New Year’s Weekend. The temperature could be into the 50s, but few passing rain showers will be likely.
Thruway update (5 a.m.): All vehicles are still banned on the NYS Thruway from Exit 46 in Henrietta to the Pennsylvania border. They’re also banned from I-90 to exit 22. You can follow the Twitter for the NYS Thruway Authority for updates:
Here is a list of Thruway closures. ALL VEHICLES are banned on the Thruway (I-90) from exit 46 (Rochester I-390) to the PA border, and on the I-190 from I-90 to exit 22 (Route 62) until further notice. Additional closures and speed restrictions may be implemented if needed. pic.twitter.com/O5r632Z9I3
This is why the Thruway remains closed in #WNY. DO NOT TRAVEL. Doing so risks your life and the emergency responders who may have to rescue you.
Current ban is exit 46 to the PA line and I-190 to Niagara Falls. https://t.co/M0EMaE5Ih1
SUNDAY
Genesee County lifts travel ban (9 a.m.): The Genesee County state of emergency is rescinded. The county’s travel ban is downgraded to a travel advisory.
16 dead after Buffalo area hit by ‘devastating’ snowstorm (2 p.m.): Sixteen people have died after a freezing blizzard with high winds struck the Buffalo, New York, area in a storm that the state’s governor has described as “devastating.”
The dead have been found outside or in cars, and reports of even more deaths were being checked out Sunday night, Buffalo police said in a statement. You can read more here.
SATURDAY
Local travel advisories lifted (12:15 p.m.): Monroe, Ontario, and Wyoming counties have canceled their travel advisories that were put in place because of high winds, snow, and icy roads.
FRIDAY
Plane lands at Rochester airport after shaking (noon): We have a new video from the Greater Rochester International Airport. As wind gusts are only expected to get stronger, one pilot flying into the airport did a nice job as the wind shakes the plane.
We were told the plane did take off again. More flights are expected to be delayed or canceled as the weather becomes even more severe. You can see the status of flights in Rochester here.
Crews work to clean up toppled power lines in Wheatland (noon): As the storm rolls in on Friday, high wind gusts are knocking down trees and taking out power lines, including in Wheatland where one tree fell across route 383.
Power crews just removed the top portion of this small tree that toppled over on some powerlines that stretches across the road. The road has since been reopened to traffic. You can see the full story here.
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