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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
924 AM EDT TUE OCT 27 2026
..THIS WEEK IS WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IN NEW YORK
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND THE NEW YORK STATE OFFICE OF
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS PROMOTING WINTER SAFETY TO ALL NEW YORKERS
DURING WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK OCTOBER 25 THROUGH OCTOBER 31.
SNOW SQUALLS ARE OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH STRONG COLD FRONTS AND ARE A
DANGEROUS WINTER WEATHER HAZARD. IN A SNOW SQUALL, FAIR WEATHER AND
DRY ROADS CAN RAPIDLY GIVE WAY TO HEAVY SNOW, GUSTY WINDS AND
FALLING TEMPERATURES, LEADING TO SUDDEN WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AND ICY
ROADS IN A MATTER OF JUST A FEW MINUTES.
THE SUDDEN CHANGE IN CONDITIONS BROUGHT ON BY A SNOW SQUALL OFTEN
CATCHES DRIVERS BY SURPRISE, AND IS WHAT MAKES THEM SO DANGEROUS.
THE RAPID TRANSITION FROM CLEAR TO PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES TO NEAR ZERO
VISIBILITY AND SNOW AND ICE COVERED ROADS IS THE BIGGEST CAUSE OF
MULTI-VEHICLE PILEUPS ON LIMITED ACCESS HIGHWAYS, FREEWAYS, AND
INTERSTATES.
LIKE SUMMERTIME THUNDERSTORMS, SNOW SQUALLS CAN DEVELOP SUDDENLY,
AND CAN BE SOMEWHAT RANDOM IN THEIR LOCATIONS. SIMILAR TO SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONITORS WEATHER
RADAR FOR SIGNATURES THAT INDICATE DANGEROUS SNOW SQUALLS, AND
ISSUES SNOW SQUALL WARNINGS WHEN A SNOW SQUALL IS IMMINENT OR
OCCURRING.
WHEN A SNOW SQUALL WARNING IS ISSUED FOR YOUR LOCATION, YOU CAN
EXPECT A RAPID ONSET OF HEAVY SNOW AND GUSTY WINDS, LEADING TO
WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AND ICY ROADWAYS. IF POSSIBLE, AVOID OR DELAY
TRAVEL UNTIL THE SQUALL PASSES. EVEN IF IT LOOKS SAFE OUTSIDE,
VISIBILITY CAN QUICKLY DROP TO NEAR ZERO ALMOST INSTANTLY. THE
COMBINATION OF RAPIDLY FALLING TEMPERATURES ALONG WITH MELTING SNOW
ON HIGH TRAFFIC ROADS CAN ALSO LEAD TO A FLASH FREEZE, IN WHICH
UNTREATED ROADWAYS QUICKLY TURN INTO A SHEET OF ICE.
IF YOU GET CAUGHT IN A SNOW SQUALL WHILE DRIVING, STAY IN YOUR LANE,
REDUCE YOUR SPEED, TURN ON YOUR HEADLIGHTS, AND AVOID SLAMMING ON
YOUR BRAKES.
MULTI-VEHICLE PILEUPS ARE PART OF WHAT MAKE SNOW SQUALLS SO DEADLY.
IF YOU BECOME INVOLVED IN A PILEUP, IF POSSIBLE DRIVE SLOWLY FORWARD
TO THE FRONT OF THE PILEUP. WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT STAND OUTSIDE
YOUR VEHICLE ON OR NEAR THE ROADWAY, AS DOING SO COULD PUT YOU AT
GREAT RISK OF BEING STRUCK BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. IF YOU CAN DO SO
SAFELY, GET AS FAR AWAY FROM THE ROADWAY AS POSSIBLE. IF YOU CANNOT
SAFELY EXIT YOUR VEHICLE, REMAIN INSIDE WITH YOUR SEATBELT ON.
YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS ON OUR WEBSITE
AT WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/SAFETY
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
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