Finger Lakes digs out from major winter storm (full-coverage)

Snow plow tipped over at intersection of Yellow Tavern Rd. and State Rt. 96 on Tuesday. Photo by Michael Hagadorn.

The region is still dealing with the consequences of Winter Storm Stella, as snow and wind continue to batter the Finger Lakes — but new information is available on what will likely go down as the most-powerful storm of the 2016-17 winter season.

Forecast

The Winter Storm Warning for Seneca, Cayuga, Tompkins, and Yates counties has been cancelled, but a Winter Weather Advisory was issued for those locations until 8 am on Thursday. At this point, forecasters say light snow and blowing snow will be the two major issues for those taking to the roads.

The Winter Storm Warning remains active for the western portions of the Finger Lakes, which includes Ontario and Wayne counties until 8 pm.

New accumulation over the next several hours will be minimal compared to what the region has been receiving over the last 24 to 36 hours.

Total Accumulation

Here’s where geography, relative distance to Lake Ontario (which did enhance this storm for those in the FLX) and a bunch of other factors make for some wild numbers.

Below are the latest reported snowfall totals:

Cayuga County

– Auburn: 21 inches

Ontario County

– Bloomfield: 8.6 inches
– W. Bloomfield: 7.8 inches
– Canandaigua: 14 inches
– Geneva: 20 inches
– Honeoye: 11 inches
– Phelps: 18 inches

Schuyler County

– Montour Falls: 12.3 inches

Steuben County

– Bath: 11.5 inches
– Campbell: 9.9 inches
– Hornell: 12.5 inches
– Kanona: 7.8 inches

Tompkins County

– Caroline Center: 24.8 inches
– Ithaca: 14.9 inches
– North East Ithaca: 17.4 inches

Wayne County

– Macedon: 19.4 inches
– Marion: 13.1 inches
– Palmyra: 21.3 inches
– Rose: 24 inches
– Walworth: 23 inches

Yates County

– East Voak: 15 inches

Active Travel Advisories (Click for more information):

– Cayuga County: Roads Closed until 6 am
– Seneca County: Roads Open; Travel Advisory
– Tompkins County: Roads Opened; Travel Advisory
– Ontario County: No Unnecessary Travel
– Wayne County: No Unnecessary Travel
– Monroe County: No Unnecessary Travel
– Yates County: No Unnecessary Travel
– NYS Thruway: NO Tractor-Trailer Traffic

FLX Weather Meteorologist Drew Montreuil’s Update:

“The major winter storm continues to dump snow and create blizzard conditions across portions of the Finger Lakes this evening. Even though some areas have been downgraded to a Winter Weather Advisory, which is less severe than a warning, conditions remain dangerous, especially in rural areas. I personally just took a trip into the rural areas to help a friend and experienced first hand the white out conditions and extremely poor travel conditions due to blowing and drifting snow.

The snow that is still falling will very slowly taper off tonight and Thursday morning. Several more inches may fall in places where it is still snowing and the area will likely not become snow free until Thursday afternoon. The wind will lessen slightly as well but will remain plenty strong enough for poor visibility and significant drifting through tonight and early Thursday. Extreme caution should be exercised if you have to go out tonight. Temperatures will drop back through the teens, sending wind chills to around 0 degrees overnight.”