Winter storm prep: National Weather Service says ‘once-in-a-generation’ storm approaching Buffalo region

The National Weather Service is describing the winter storm bearing down on Buffalo and western New York ahead of Christmas as a “once-in-a-generation” event. 

The declaration comes as much of the Great Lakes region is under winter storm watches and warnings during one of the busiest travel periods of the year. 

“This once-in-a-generation storm will produce high winds east of Lake Ontario Thursday night into Friday morning, then over a larger coverage of our region Friday into Saturday,” the NWS’ Buffalo office said Wednesday. 

“Winds could gust over 65 mph, leading to at least scattered power outages, if not widespread outages,” it added. 

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An advisory is warning residents in that area of a “rapid switch from rain to snow with sharply falling temperatures into the teens and single digits” that “will result in a flash freeze on Friday.” 

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“Cold wind chills as low as 10 to 20 below zero this weekend could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes,” the NWS also said. 

Buffalo has been pummeled with lake effect snow in recent weeks. 

One storm during the week before Thanksgiving dropped more than 80 inches of snow in the city’s suburbs of Orchard Park and Hamburg.