Prolonged lake-effect snow event to bury eastern Great Lakes with feet of snow this week

As the worst Arctic outbreak in many years slams the midwestern and northeastern United States with dangerously cold air, a prolonged lake-effect snow event will take shape downwind of the Great Lakes this week.

With the lack of cold air so far this winter, a large portion of the Great Lakes remains unfrozen, opening the door for lake-effect snow as the icy air pours in this week.

"The very cold air temperatures pouring over the warmer waters of the Great Lakes will cause narrow but intense lake-effect snow bands to develop downwind of the lakes beginning on Tuesday and continuing into Friday," AccuWeather Meteorologist Courtney Travis said.

The heaviest snow in Buffalo, New York, will fall from later Tuesday into Wednesday morning, during which time the wind direction will be favorable for the band to set up right over the city.

It is during this time that 1-2 feet of snow may pile up in the city, bringing major travel delays on Interstate 90 and secondary roadways.

Later on Wednesday, the heaviest band of snow should shift just south of Buffalo, hammering the southern suburbs with snowfall rates of 3 to 5 inches per hour.

Another intense band of snow will develop downwind of Lake Ontario on Tuesday night and take on a west-to-east orientation later on Wednesday.

Once the Erie and Ontario bands shift farther south on Wednesday, they may only oscillate a couple of miles into Thursday night and Friday.

Related: Winter storms and weather across the United States — January 2019

Because these two bands will inundate the same areas with blinding whiteouts and very high snowfall rates for 36-48 hours, people may end up measuring the snow in yards instead of inches or feet.

While Syracuse may only receive a few inches of snow from the lake-effect event, Watertown and Sandy Creek, New York, will likely receive between 3 and 6 feet of snow.

Up to 4 feet of snow may fall just 5 to 10 miles south of Buffalo, with up to 2 feet of snow possible just to the northeast of Erie, Pennsylvania.

In addition to the Erie and Ontario snow bands, some locations downwind of lakes Michigan and Superior can also receive several feet of snow. The heaviest snow in the western Great Lakes will fall between Tuesday and Thursday before the wind shifts direction on Friday.

Download the free AccuWeather app to find out how much snow is expected in your community this week.

Residents living in areas expected to be targeted by feet of snow should prepare now and have both a backup generator and emergency preparedness kit on hand to avoid becoming stuck without supplies in case of power outages.

With the extreme cold and biting winds set to accompany the snow, a dangerous and life-threatening situation can develop quickly in the cases of a power outage or becoming stranded outdoors in the snow.

Frostbite can occur in a matter of minutes when temperatures dip to 10 or 20 degrees Fahrenheit below zero, and anybody heading outdoors to shovel the snow should make sure to wear plenty of layers and take frequent breaks.

"In addition, ice jams can form along area rivers with the rapid freeze-up this week, raising the risk of flooding in nearby communities," Travis added.

Motorists traveling through western New York on I-81 and 90, as well as across western Michigan on I-94, should be prepared for roadway visibility to drop from miles to feet within a matter of seconds.

Whiteouts, as well as blowing and drifting snow resulting from the gusty winds, threaten to force road closures and make travel nearly impossible and extremely dangerous at times this week.

Anybody without four-wheel drive may be unable to pass through the deep snow, and even those with it may face spots that are simply impassible.

By Friday, an area of high pressure should build into the mid-Atlantic states and cause the strong, persistent winds to lighten and shift direction, bringing the lake-effect event to an end.

Fortunately, a brief surge of abnormally mild air may quickly surge into parts of the Northeast this weekend, helping to melt some of the snow and providing an ideal setting for cleanup efforts.