Upstate New York cities of Oswego, Buffalo, Watertown and Orchard Park will continue to see very heavy lake effect snowfall through Wednesday afternoon. Up to 5 to 6 feet will fall south of Buffalo near Lake Erie with 3 to 4 feet forecast for Oswego and Watertown on the eastern shores of Lake Ontario.Very cold air has plunged across the eastern half of the nation with temperatures below freezing to the Gulf Coast. Lows tonight will fall to near 23 in Tallahassee with temperatures as low as the upper teens in places near the Gulf Coast. Jacksonville, Florida will be in the lower 20s tonight. A Wind Chill Advisory is in effect tonight for Orlando.
From the National Weather Service in Buffalo, NY:
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
939 AM EST TUE NOV 18 2014
NORTHERN ERIE-GENESEE-WYOMING-SOUTHERN ERIE-INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BUFFALO...BATAVIA...WARSAW...ORCHARD PARK...SPRINGVILLE
939 AM EST TUE NOV 18 2014
LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST WEDNESDAY...
LAKE EFFECT SNOW WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT...
* LOCATIONS...ERIE...GENESEE...AND WYOMING COUNTIES INCLUDING THE BUFFALO METRO AREA. NORTHERN EXTENT OF THE SNOW BAND FROM ROUGHLY A LINE FROM DOWNTOWN BUFFALO TO DEPEW AND BATAVIA.
* TIMING...WARNING THROUGH MIDDAY WEDNESDAY. WATCH FROM LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT.
* ACCUMULATIONS...SNOWFALL RATES OF 3 TO 5 INCHES PER HOUR IN THE MOST INTENSE PORTION OF THE BAND. THIS WILL BRING STORM TOTALS TO 5 TO 6 FEET IN THE MOST PERSISTENT SNOWS.
* WINDS...SOUTHWEST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH PRODUCING LOCALIZED BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AT TIMES WITH SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.
* VISIBILITIES...NEAR ZERO AT TIMES.
* IMPACTS...INTENSE LAKE EFFECT SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL RESULT IN VERY DIFFICULT OR NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TRAVEL AT TIMES WITHIN THE MOST INTENSE PORTION OF THE BAND. EXPECT WIDESPREAD ROAD CLOSURES. TRAVEL WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE WITHIN THE BAND. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL BE PREPARED FOR SEVERE WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS WITH NEAR ZERO VISIBILITY AND DEEP SNOW COVER ON ROADS. THIS INCLUDES THE NEW YORK STATE THRUWAY FROM SILVER CREEK TO BATAVIA.
From the NWS in Tallahassee:
URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
907 AM EST TUE NOV 18 2014
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...JASPER...LIVE OAK...LAKE CITY...
MACCLENNY...FERNANDINA BEACH...JACKSONVILLE...LAKE BUTLER...
HARD FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING
TO 9 AM EST WEDNESDAY...* TEMPERATURE...MINIMUM TEMPERATURES
WILL GENERALLY RANGE FROM 22 TO 27 DEGREES FOR 5 TO 10 HOURS.
* IMPACTS...FREEZING TEMPERATURES CAN HARM OUTDOOR PLANTS...
PETS AND THOSE SENSITIVE TO COLD WEATHER. PRECAUTIONARY/
PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...A HARD FREEZE WARNING MEANS THAT
TEMPERATURES LESS THAN 27 DEGREES ARE EXPECTED FOR AT
LEAST 2 HOURS. APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN TO
ENSURE TENDER VEGETATION AND OUTDOOR PETS HAVE ADEQUATE
PROTECTION FROM THE COLD TEMPERATURES. YOUNG CHILDREN...
THE ELDERLY AND THE HOMELESS ARE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE
TO THE COLD. TAKE MEASURES TO PROTECT THEM.
