Eastern Railroad Discussion > Extent of Buffalo Blizzard

As one who lived in Albany for 25 years, I heard that most of the blizzards that hit Buffalo were lake effect storms that were heavily concentrated over a small area. Did the recent 76-incher mainly hit the City, or would CSX going toward Rochester, Erie and Niagara Falls also have been buried? Have Frontier and Bison yards been shut down?
How 'bout Syracuse? If Amtrak had been willing to run Empire Service as far west as Syracuse would the wye they use at CP 293 still have been useable?
Staying (comparatively) warm in Jacksonville,

Andy

from what I saw on weather maps, areas south of Niagara Falls along Lake Erie was what and still is getting hammered by the snow. It is strange to look at some of the traffic cams for NYS Thurway (I-90) and see no traffic. Supposedly Erie's snow plowing operations have been halted for the time being because there is too much snow to deal with. As for Syracuse, I-81 north and the Watertown (NY) area also got hit bad with snow.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/14 07:42 by Pattenburg.

From looking at satellite imagery yesterday, I'd say the lake-effect dagger was aimed just south of downtown and hammered West Seneca and Lackawanna, but also reached places east of downtown like Lancaster and Cheektowaga. As of early-afternoon yesterday, Orchard Park had 38 inches of snow, which means Bills fans will have a big snowball arsenal when the Jets come to town on Sunday, even if it warms up enough to rain that day as forecast.

The main line west of CP437 would go right through the heart of the snow zone. Frontier Yard was probably on the northern edge of it, but there was heavier snow east of the yard. If the National Weather Service reporting station at Cheektowaga is at the Buffalo airport, which is north of the main, well, it had 51 inches by early afternoon yesterday. Ouch!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/14 05:57 by toledopatch.

The easier way to determine what's being buried is to look at the NY State Thruway Cameras. The extent and the extreme of the snow machine can be seem quite clearly.

http://www.thruway.ny.gov/travelers/map/index.html?layer=wta

You can add multiple layers on that map, the camera's are the most telling however.

As of this morning, once again the Thurway is shut down. At least the sun is trying to come out in places that have been buried.

Here is a few images from their web site.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/14 05:46 by CGTower.

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That area is supposed to get a second round of heavy snow later tonight into Thursday with some areas topping out at 6 feet of snow...Dave W

Posted from Android

While being the mobile unit at work today heard that the Kent State University football team finally got into Buffalo to play the University of Buffalo but the problem now is that the football field has almost seventy inches of snow on it...

Posted from Android

Forever-Railfan-45 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> While being the mobile unit at work today heard
> that the Kent State University football team
> finally got into Buffalo to play the University of
> Buffalo but the problem now is that the football
> field has almost seventy inches of snow on it...
>
> Posted from Android


Play on!!!

Forever-Railfan-45 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> While being the mobile unit at work today heard
> that the Kent State University football team
> finally got into Buffalo to play the University of
> Buffalo but the problem now is that the football
> field has almost seventy inches of snow on it...
>
> Posted from Android


There's a bus stuck out on the Thruway someplace with a college women's lacrosse team. Been there for 24 hours. Probably getting a little ripe about now.

I have a close friend who lives in West Seneca. He keeps posting photos on facebook that blow my mind. He had 42 inches YESTERDAY on his street. It snowed more over night. Hoping he still has a roof and power.

Joe

The CSX self propelled snow blower kept at Selkirk was reported WB out of Selkirk, NY this morning. Assume its heading to the western part of the state. This machine can flange and blow. Most useful for cleaning out yards and sidings. I assume Seneca Yard is totally plugged. Is Seneca Yard still used?

John

And then it's going to warm up this weekend. That should be a mess!!

Winter of '56 the Pennsy used a snow melter in
Erie - - Oops, that wouldn't work. Needed a live
2-10-0 to go along with it.

NKP715 Wrote:
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> Winter of '56 the Pennsy used a snow melter in
> Erie - - Oops, that wouldn't work. Needed a live
> 2-10-0 to go along with it.


Lackawanna used a 2-8-2 to melt ice on their overhead electric lines. Coupled with a few MU units, the steam engine loosened the ice and the pans scraped it off.

Thomas Taber has a mention of it in the DL&W in the Twentieth Century book

Seneca Yard is still active as an intermodal yard for CSX. It is located in Lackawanna and they got hit with at least 4 feet so everything has to be at a standstill. I live in Hamburg and we got it pretty bad. Expect another 2 feet tonight. When they say "lake effect" use this picture as a good definition. It was taken from downtown Buffalo. Hamburg and Lackawanna are located in the white blizzard!

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P Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Forever-Railfan-45 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > While being the mobile unit at work today heard
> > that the Kent State University football team
> > finally got into Buffalo to play the University
> of
> > Buffalo but the problem now is that the
> football
> > field has almost seventy inches of snow on it...
>
> >
> > Posted from Android
>
>
> Play on!!!

Trade their cleats for snowshoes and they should be good to go. And probably worth watching on TV.

Jay

At least no one will get hurt being tackled on frozen turf.

NKP715 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Winter of '56 the Pennsy used a snow melter in
> Erie - - Oops, that wouldn't work. Needed a live
> 2-10-0 to go along with it.

A live 2-10-0 IS a snow melter! But only after it has passed...

Tor in Eugene

chakk Wrote:
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> At least no one will get hurt being tackled on
> frozen turf.


Expect this game to be postponed, or perhaps moved to an alternate location (such as the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, or maybe Toronto?).

From around Dunkirk to Buffalo, also the Syracuse & Watertown NY area its lake effect snow. I have been told by people I've meet from NY, they say its a normal occurrence for the western section NY to get it from November to March. But this blizzard broke the previous record for Buffalo. Cant just up and move the city due to the weather. You deal with the weather and move on.
CSX I seen is moving trains but not sure if its fully opened. The same for NS trains that run through Buffalo.

As for the NFL Bills & Jets football game this weekend, I heard that the NFL is thinking of having it in Pittsburgh. Since the stadium in Buffalo would take weeks to clean it, we will see.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/14 18:58 by easternrailvideos.

Forever-Railfan-45 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> While being the mobile unit at work today heard
> that the Kent State University football team
> finally got into Buffalo to play the University of
> Buffalo but the problem now is that the football
> field has almost seventy inches of snow on it...
>
> Posted from Android

Who would notice if the mighty (?) 1-9 Golden Flashes made an
appearance or not?

Be Well,

Tim Colbert K3HX

KSU class of 1980