Great Lakes region faces more snow after weekend of harsh holiday weather

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — After U.S. travelers battled through harsh weekend weather to reach home following the Thanksgiving holiday, residents of the Great Lakes region face the prospect of more snow through the week, forecasters said.

Snow was expected to fall in the region overnight into Monday morning and again Wednesday and Thursday, along with gusty winds and freezing temperatures, the National Weather Service said Sunday.

Several inches of lake-effect snow fell over the weekend on upstate New York, including nearly 4 feet (1.2 meters) off Lake Ontario, and parts of Pennsylvania and Michigan.

Lake-effect snow is caused by warm, moist air blowing across a body of water and mixing with colder, drier air, creating narrow bands of often heavy snow on land.

Bills game played in wintry conditions

Flinty fans scoffed at the flurries and numbing temperatures during Sunday’s nighttime NFL game in Buffalo, New York, against the San Francisco 49ers.

The NFL’s Bills said the organization would pay $20 per hour and provide food and hot drinks to snow shovelers.

The lake-effect storm began hitting the area Saturday near the Bills’ stadium in Orchard Park, New York. Though the storm shifted south of the stadium by noon Sunday, snow continued to fall off and on through the day. Flurries began to fall more heavily just before kickoff. The game was played in chilly conditions with the game-time temperature at 27 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 3 Celsius), with the wind chill making it feel like 17 F (minus 8 Celsius). The Bills often play in such conditions at home late in the season.

Tim LoTemple, a Bills season-ticket holder from Rochester, New York, and part of the team's rabid fan base known as “Bills Mafia," said the freezing temperatures and snow energize the players and fans. Still, the 49ers game was practically temperate compared to previous matchups at Highmark Stadium.

“We love snow over here. You know how Bills Mafia is, we love the cold," he said from a parking lot tailgate party. "This is nothing compared to what we’ve seen before.”

But for Jake Dyer, an Indianapolis Colts fan visiting from Southern California, a cold-weather game is a rarity.

“Only thing I didn’t prepare for was shoes. I double up on everything else, but my feet are cold,” he said. “Mad respect for anybody who comes out. Anybody can sit at home, comfy in their chair to watch this game.”

Another 1 to 2 feet (about 30 to 60 centimeters) of snow was possible in western New York, and an additional 2 to 3 feet in northern New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul's office said Sunday.

New York and Pennsylvania declare emergencies

A blast of Arctic air last week brought bitter temperatures of 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit below average to the Northern Plains, the National Weather Service said. Frigid air was expected to move over the eastern third of the U.S. by Monday, with temperatures about 10 degrees below average.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a disaster emergency proclamation Saturday and said parts of Erie County in the northwest received nearly 2 feet (61 centimeters) of snow, with more expected through Monday night. Due to the snow emergency in the City of Erie, City Hall will be closed to the public on Monday and Tuesday.

Michigan is battered

Parts of Michigan were battered by lake-effect snow as bands rolling off Lake Superior buried parts of the Upper Peninsula under 2 feet (61 centimeters) or more, said Lily Chapman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

There were 27 inches (69 centimeters) of snow northeast of Ironwood, in the Upper Peninsula’s western reaches. More than a foot (30.5 centimeters) could fall over the eastern Upper Peninsula through Monday morning, Chapman said Saturday.

A light dusting of snow fell across eastern Kentucky and West Virginia, making a beautiful backdrop for Christmas decorations and good practice for road crews.

Over the next few days, lows in the Appalachians are expected to dip between 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 12 to minus 7 degrees Celsius).

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Thompson reported from Buffalo, New York, and Anna from Lowville, New York. Ron Todt in Philadelphia, Sophia Tareen in Chicago, Susan Haigh in Norwich, Connecticut, John Wawrow in Orchard Park, New York, and Holly Ramer in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed.