ALBANY, New York (WWNY) – Governor Kathy Hochul has expanded the state of emergency due to high winds and lake effect snow.
Jefferson and Lewis counties are now included.
Non-essential state employees who live or work in Jefferson, Lewis, Oswego, Oneida, Onondaga, Erie, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Niagara, Wyoming, Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, and Wayne counties are being told to telecommute on Tuesday where possible.
Hochul says all people in these areas should avoid all unnecessary travel, follow the direction of local authorities and telecommute whenever possible.
The Tug Hill region is expected to get around 3 feet of snow by the weekend.
Following periods of ice and rain throughout the state during the overnight hours on Monday, a long-duration lake effect snow system moved into the state Monday morning, with winds as high as 70 mph in western New York, causing whiteout conditions.
This lake effect snow is expected to continue off the shores of Lakes Ontario and Erie for the majority of the week.
While winds are expected to subside to 30-40 mph, whiteout conditions remain a possibility in parts of western and central New York on Tuesday, especially in the Syracuse area.
The following counties are under a state of emergency: Albany, Allegany, Bronx, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Dutchess, Erie, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Genesee, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Kings, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Montgomery, Nassau, New York, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange, Orleans, Oswego, Otsego, Putnam, Queens, Rensselaer, Richmond, Rockland, St. Lawrence, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Suffolk, Sullivan, Tioga, Tompkins, Ulster, Warren, Washington, Wayne, and Westchester
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