Buffalo Gets 2 Feet of ThunderSnow

UPDATE 3PM: The NWS snow spotter reports have been updated and they are pretty incredible. Michigan has also joined the ranks of states seeing more than a foot of snow. Three people have been killed in New York by the storm (NBC3). Amounts at or over 16 inches are shown below:

Depew, NY: 24.0"
Herman, MI: 22.0"
Buffalo, NY: 22.6"
Pelkie, MI: 20.0"
Amherst, NY: 20.0"
Alden, NY: 19.0"
Clarence, NY: 18.0"
Twin Lakes, MI: 17.0"
Painsdale, MI: 16.0"

ORIGINAL POST:

Buffalo, New York received as much as 2 feet of snow last night as an unusually-early lake-effect snow storm brought moisture over warm lake waters. The snow, which typically doesn't fall when leaves are still on the trees, knocked out power to 155,000.

The precipitation was intense enough to cause a night full of thundersnow. Lightning and thunder were reported by the official weather station at Buffalo between 5 and 6 pm, 9 PM and midnight, 2 AM and 3 AM, and between 4:30 and 7 AM this morning.

PHOTO CAPTION: Bob Jaus tries to clear the snow in his driveway during a major snowstorm in Clarence, N.Y., a suburb of Buffalo Friday Oct. 13, 2006. Jaus, owner of Hayes Seafood, was trying to get to his restaurant to open his doors for food and other assistance. A rare early October snowstorm left parts of western New York blanketed with 2 feet (over half a meter) of snow Friday morning, prompting widespread blackouts, closing schools and halting traffic. (Ap Photo of the Day/David Duprey)

The NWS reported 12 inches at West Seneca and Amherst, NY at 2:30 a.m. but has not yet updated their spotter reports this morning as of 10 am. Tom Nizol from the NWS office in Buffalo told the Chicago Tribune this morning"By early Friday, 14 inches of snow had been recorded at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, with reports of 2 feet elsewhere." He described the event as "extremely rare for this early." Tom also said that the 8.3" recorded at the official Buffalo weather station set a record for the snowiest day in October in the station's 137-year history.

Take a look at the radar loops below to see the snow "train" over Buffalo. These Quicktime movies will take some time to download. Maximize your browser to see the bar at the bottom. Drag the time bar indicator quickly to view in high speed.

RADAR LOOPS:

Lake-effect snow will continue to affect the region this weekend.

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