Overview
- The rapidly deepening storm met bomb-cyclone criteria Monday as it crossed the region, unleashing hurricane-force gusts up to 79 mph in Buffalo, the National Weather Service reported.
- About 153,000 customers were without power early Tuesday, with the largest concentrations in Michigan, according to PowerOutage.us data.
- Air travel faltered with nearly 9,000 delays and more than 1,500 cancellations Monday, while highways saw major crashes including a 50-vehicle pileup on Detroit’s I-75 and a northbound I-81 closure in Syracuse.
- Intense lake-effect bands are producing snowfall rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour and localized totals exceeding two feet, with up to 30 inches forecast near Baldwinsville and significant accumulations around Syracuse.
- Officials warned of whiteouts and urged people to avoid nonessential travel, and forecasters flagged additional hazards from coastal flooding and 20-foot waves on the Great Lakes.