Buffalo's Worst Blizzard Since 1977 Isn't Over Yet

More snow is expected to fall in Buffalo, New York, as the city reels from a massive snowstorm that began Friday and buried the city in roughly 4 feet of snow over Christmas weekend.

The storm competes with the Blizzard of 1977, which killed 29 people. As of Tuesday morning, this storm had killed at least 28 people in Erie County. The number could continue to rise as search-and-rescue efforts continue and additional snowfall is in the forecast for Tuesday.

People were found dead in their cars, in their homes without power and in snowbanks. Delayed EMS response likely contributed to the deaths as excessive snow slowed emergency responders. Forecasts show up to 2 more inches of snow could fall Tuesday and further hinder recovery efforts, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

AccuWeather meteorologist Jake Sojda told Newsweek that for recovery efforts to continue unhindered, it "needs to stop snowing."

Although 2 inches doesn't seem like much snow, roads that have been cleared enough to be passable will again become a concern. Recovery efforts could be redirected to again clear major thoroughfares that had already been cleared.

"That could steal away from some efforts to clear other streets that haven't even been touched yet," Sojda said.

An arctic blast accompanied by severe winds and blizzard conditions hit a large swath of the United States over the weekend. More than half of the fatalities as a result of the storm occurred in Erie County. Heavy snowfall soon made roads impassable over the weekend, and many were stranded in the cars as the storm battered the area. Power also failed for thousands but had been restored for most by Tuesday morning, according to an outage map.

Over the weekend, Governor Kathy Hochul deployed the National Guard to Erie County to assist with recovery efforts. On Monday, an additional 200 National Guard soldiers were deployed to the area. President Joe Biden declared a federal emergency for the area on Monday, opening avenues for the state to pursue federal aid in its recovery efforts.

A travel ban was lifted for parts of Erie County on Tuesday, but it remained in Buffalo as emergency vehicles were struggling to navigate on the snow-covered roads. People with snowmobiles were requested to aid responders in their efforts.

A tweet from Western New York Region of New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) showed the importance of Erie County residents abiding by the travel ban. The NYSDOT showed a photo of a snow-covered road where snowbanks reached the height of cars, covering the vehicles. Crews worked to remove abandoned cars so plowing could continue.

Temperatures are expected to begin rising Wednesday, according to a tweet from the NWS Buffalo office. Temperatures will climb above freezing by Thursday and will continue to rise through the weekend, potentially causing "minor flooding" as the snow melts, according to a tweet from Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz.

Update 12/27/22, 3:21 p.m. ET: This story was updated with comment from Jake Sojda.