(WJET/WFXP)– Winter weather could be on its way on Thanksgiving, with winter storm watches being issued for Erie, Crawford, Warren and Chautauqua Counties starting Wednesday evening and the early hours of Thursday morning.
The National Weather Service (NWS) said those watches will start on Wednesday at 7 pm for Chautauqua County and on Thursday at 1 am for all other affected counties. Those will be in effect through Friday evening.
The NWS is predicting lake effect snow with possible snow accumulations of up to 6 inches, and wind gusts up to 45 mph that could cause drifting snow along roadways.
The heaviest snowfall is predicted to be on Thursday afternoon and early evening, with snowfall rates up to 1 inch per hour. The strong winds may bring down power lines and could cause sporadic power outages.
Your Weather Authority: Winter cold and lake snow on Thanksgiving Day
Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous with visibility reduced to a quarter of a mile, with the NWS adding that whiteout conditions are possible and could make Thanksgiving travel difficult…