In Hamburg, a city of 56,000 in upstate New York bordering Lake Erie, a gigantic winter storm caused nearly 2 meters of snow to fall in the space of 24 hours.
“It’s crazy, I went down to the basement, we can’t even open the door. I can’t believe it, ”said a neighbor from his balcony, dominating the thick white coat that fell over the city.
As reported by New York Times, the level of dust observed in recent days could even be a record. In Erie County, which includes the city of Buffalo, so much snow has never fallen in the space of 24 hours: 1.70 meters have been measured, sometimes with 15 centimeters per hour.
“A Historical Record”
The previous record dates from 1966, when they fell 1.27 meters in one day. “We believe we will break an all-time record for the most snowfall in 24 hours in New York State,” Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul said.
The images shared by the American media are impressive. There are fully covered residential areas. On Saturday, residents were busy cleaning their driveways, when they weren’t busy digging out their wrecked car.
“At the moment, we are waiting. As soon as the main roads are clear, we will try to get back in the car,” said another Hamburg resident, who patiently took the trouble.
Authorities said two people died as a result of the storm and another 280 had to be rescued. 1,600 residents lost power on Saturday. Many Buffalo roads have been closed to traffic to prevent potential accidents.
A powerful cold descent
This historical phenomenon is explained by the encounter between a very powerful cold descent from Canada, which brought temperatures of around -20 degrees, and the still relatively warm water of the great lakes of the region. It’s still around 15 degrees, after a hot summer.
It is this contrast that is at the origin of the snowfall that is currently observed. And the remaining current running to the northeast, it is the southeast slope of the Great Lakes that is affected, where the city of Buffalo is located.
After concentrating around the Great Lakes, the storm is expected to move gradually further south, reaching New York, the largest city in the United States, in the next few hours. Although the region is used to snowfall, it is its precocity and intensity that have caught the attention of observers this year.
Source: BFM TV
