New Year’s Day celebrators may be in need of snow shovels in the Great Lakes for the first day of 2026 thanks to ongoing lake-effect snow bands throughout parts of the region. Feet of snowfall could be picked up in the snowbelts over the next few days, especially in upstate New York near Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.
Breakdown
- Heavy snow expected in Buffalo and Lake Ontario snow belt areas
- Thunder and lightning possible within snow bands 12s
- Convergent snow band forming from Erie to Dunkirk and Hamburg 18s
- 24 to 28 inches of snow forecast north of Syracuse 48s
- Snow bands to diminish by Friday night in Western New York 57s