By Kate Bartlett
Buffalo is no stranger to snowstorms, but this past week yet again proved as a reminder. With record breaking accumulations of 5-6 feet in some areas to 60-70 mph gusts of winds and near impossible driving conditions, this most recent Lake Effect Stom proved to be no joke. But, in true Buffalo fashion, there are always silver linings.
It all began Monday afternoon with record breaking wind gusts of over 65 mph and over 15,000 people without power across Erie, Chautauqua and Cattaraugus Counties. Winds continued to blow over the next few days, reminding us that something was still brewing. Saturday brought more wind and snow, and the accumulation began. The much-anticipated Bills Playoff Game was pushed to Monday afternoon, as Mother Nature had other plans.
By Sunday, the gusting winds made for Blizzard like conditions in Buffalo, West Seneca and many surrounding suburbs. Snow totals reached between 2-4 feet in Orchard Park, burying Highmark Stadium in thick layers of snow. Bills Mafia showed their true colors and fans showed up to shovel out the stadium, a task not to be taken lightly in the midst of a driving ban. The lights stayed on through the night, construction equipment and fans working tirelessly to dig out the stadium. The show must go on.
Come Monday, Orchard Park majestically had about 24 hours of blue skies, just long enough to finish digging out the stadium and allow fans to tailgate and cheer on their hometown team to a victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Snowballs of celebration hit the field as fans and players rejoiced in true Buffalo fashion.
Wednesday and Thursday brought between 18-36 inches of snow to downtown Buffalo and the surrounding suburbs. Some of the hardest hit suburbs totaled 5-6 feet of snow.
Since last year’s Christmas Blizzard, the city of Buffalo has been taking measures to be more prepared for winter weather. Travel bans were put in place and Buffalonians received multiple emergency alerts throughout the days with reminders of the severity of the winter weather. Dump trucks and heavyduty construction vehicles worked tirelessly over the course of the week to remove the snow as quickly as it came down, bringing it to various deposit locations across the area.
In true Buffalo fashion, the City of Good Neighbors showed up and helped out. From neighbors checking in on each other to helping shovel out parked cars on the city streets, Buffalonians roll up their sleeves, strap on their boots and lend a helping hand. Agencies like Eight Days of Hope have been responding to assist those in need clearing snow. Teams of volunteers have been working to keep furnace vents clear, generators running, removing snow from driveways and taking heavy snow accumulations off roofs. Over 500 volunteers turned out to shovel snow from Highmark stadium for the second Buffalo Bills home game since the storm. The team is grateful and overwhelmed with the response from the community. Buffalo turned up, yet again.
While there’s sure to be more snow this season, it will undoubtedly be accompanied by good ‘ol Buffalo cheer.