It wasn’t a lake effect winter storm that rolled into the Niagara Region late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.
But it was, in the words of National Weather Service meteorologist Jon Hitchcock, “lake enhanced.”
“It was a low-pressure system coming from the south and east, that drew a little from Lake Ontario,” Hitchcock said.
The result was a storm total of 14 inches in Olcott, largely because of its proximity to the lake. Other totals, recorded by National Weather Service observers, included 8 inches in Pendleton.
Hitchcock said a reporter’s observation of “around 7 inches” in the Niagara Gazette parking lot on Third Street in Niagara Falls was “probably pretty close.”
The first major storm and accumulation of the winter tested the Falls Department of Public Works’ snow removal response. City plows hit the streets around 11 p.m. Wednesday and were expected to continue plowing through Friday afternoon.
Mayor Robert Restaino said a total of eight pieces of equipment, much of it recently purchased, were on the streets as the snow began flying.
“It’s all hands on deck,” the mayor said.
Plow drivers are following an approach that calls for them to clear main streets, then secondary streets, followed by side streets and alleys. The city has purchased a number of plow-equipped pickup trucks, which are expected to improve the efficiency of clearing the city’s alleys.
The mayor said the new snow-fighting equipment has performed well with few breakdowns or necessary repairs.
“The challenge has been that there’s just no let-up in the snow. That’s the problem,” Restaino said. “Without any breaks (in the snowfall), we’ve had to stay on the mains with the plows because they’re filling back up as quickly as we clear them.”
Restaino said if the snow stops by mid-evening Thursday, “The midnight and mornings crews will have a shot at making things better for the morning commute.”
The mayor also said that residents can help the DPW crews with snow removal by getting parked vehicles off the street overnight, if possible.
“And if you’re shoveling snow, try to push it to the side of your property rather than throwing it in the street. That doesn’t help (snow removal efforts),” Restaino said.
Niagara County Highway had crews out plowing and salting, addressing the current snow event, Garret Meal, Niagara County DPW commissioner said.
“With this storm, the snow patterns continue to shift and we are adjusting our resources accordingly. We have added extra trucks to the routes in the more intense areas,” he said.
Meal also urged caution on county roadways.
“As with all heavy winter events, drivers should avoid unnecessary travel, give themselves extra time and utilize winter driving skills,” he said. “Our snow plow drivers are professionals and are very good at what they do. Please give them the space to get their job done.”