Snow squall watch for Niagara Region continues amid potential for 60 cm by Sunday

Environment Canada is predicting another 10 to 20 cm of snow could fall across the eastern Niagara Region on Friday night into Saturday morning.

A snow squall watch continues for a stretch Niagara Region between Lake Erie and lake Ontario with a significant amount of snow already on the ground.

The weather agency says the first band of squalls hit Niagara on Thursday night and moved into Buffalo early Friday, dropping close to 25 cm of snow.

The lake-effect snow squall, the result of Arctic air racing across the milder waters of the Great Lakes, primarily affected areas between Niagara Falls and Fort Erie.

Both of Niagara’s largest school boards did open learning facilities but cancelled transportation.

Fort Erie has gone ahead and cancelled its annual Santa Claus parade due to a recommendation from the road department.

The unusually high snowfall in New York state prompted Gov. Kathy Hochul to declare a state of emergency with forecasts calling for up to five feet in some areas around Buffalo.

The protocol even forced the NFL’s Buffalo Bills to relocate their Sunday game with the Cleveland Browns to Ford Field in Detroit.

Changes in wind gusts are expected to bring the squalls back across the falls to Niagara Region on Friday reducing visibility and hindering travel.

In all, accumulations across the region between Niagara Falls and Fort Erie are expected to be between 30 and 60 cm by Sunday morning.

Temperatures over the next three days are expected to hit highs of around 2 C, while lows could drop to -4 C.