Syracuse, NY – The on-again, off-again lake effect snow warning covering the Syracuse area is coming back on again at noon, threatening to boost snowfall totals on what already is the fourth-snowiest December since 1950.
Meanwhile, several school districts in western and southern Onondaga County and Cayuga County have delayed the start of school, thanks to snowfall overnight. Syracuse.com has a complete list.The National Weather Service in Binghamton said Onondaga and Madison counties south of the state Thruway and southern Cayuga County may get 1 to 3 inches of snow this morning. Long-lasting bands could generate another 6 to 8 inches late this afternoon and tonight, the weather service said.By Thursday afternoon, 9 to 13 inches of new snow could be piled up, the weather service said. The warning is set to expire at 1 p.m. Thursday. Check forecast details on Syracuse.com.
The new lake effect warning will replace the lake-effect advisory the weather service issued Tuesday morning. The advisory replaced a lake-effect warning issued Monday. A warning is called when at least 7 inches of snow are expected in 12 hours, officials said. The threshold for an advisory is 4 inches over 12 hours.
Intermittent heavy snows struck Central New York Tuesday, enough to slow traffic and contribute to some fender benders, said emergency dispatchers. No serious-injury accidents were reported. That trend continued this morning with a rash of accidents reported in Onondaga County.
Interstate 81 in LaFayette was reduced this morning to one lane of traffic in both directions after an accident involving a tractor-trailer.
Five inches of snow fell at Syracuse Hancock International Airport on Tuesday. That brought the December total to 54.2 inches, the fourth-highest December total since the weather service started basing observations at the airport. Only December 2000, with 70.3 inches, 1989, with 64.6 inches, and 2008, with 57.3 inches, saw more.
Staff writers Charles McChesney and Charley Hannagan contributed to this report.