The worst of Saturday's wild weather is over in Western New York.
Winds which topped out at more than 70 mph have diminished to sustained speeds of 20 to 30 mph, with gusts up to 40. The National Weather Service's high wind warning, which went into effect at 1 p.m., is set to expire at 11 p.m.
Temperatures hit a record 67 degrees at 1 p.m., then fell into the mid 30s by 10 p.m., en route to an overnight low of 32. In Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties, there were snow showers. Sunday will see highs around 40 and it still will be breezy.Â
Streets and highways along Lake Erie, the Niagara River and the Erie Canal in the Tonawandas spilled over their banks. The Skyway, which closed at 6 p.m., is scheduled to reopen at 4 a.m. Route 5 was closed along the lake shore in Hamburg.
A ban on empty tractor-trailers and high-profile vehicles, as well as empty tandems, went into effect on portions of the Thruway at noon Saturday, the state Thruway Authority announced.
People are also reading…
The ban, which will remain in effect until further notice, pertains to the I-90 between exits 42 and 61, as well as the I-190.
The State Highway Department has deployed 46 generators with extended fuel capabilities for traffic signals affected by power outages to add to existing supplies in Western New York and other regions.
Erie Basin Marina, Centennial Park, Broderick Park and the Bird Island Pier closed at noon, city officials announced.
Several events have been canceled due to the weather, including Santa Land at Chestnut Ridge Park, Fairgrounds Festival of Lights at the Erie County Fairgrounds and Zoo Lights at the Buffalo Zoo.
The strong winds whipped up lake levels. Lake Erie rose to more than 9 feet, with waters slowly subsiding during the evening. This caused flooding along the shore, including in Buffalo Harbor, as well as areas prone to flooding along the upper Niagara River.
Flood-prone areas seeing flooding include sections along Route 5 and Hoover Beach in Hamburg, Buffalo Harbor, Canalside and Dunkirk Harbor. Along the upper river, flooding occurred on Grand Island, Cayuga Island and beneath the north Grand Island bridges at the LaSalle Expressway ramps.
The 122-year-old daily record high temperature was broken as of 8 a.m. when the thermometer at the airport reached 62. The old record was 61 set in 1899, according to the weather service.
