Ice Castles Emerge From Buffalo Blizzard

A stunning phenomena was on display over the weekend along the shores of Lake Erie when a snowstorm with howling winds and bitter cold hit the region.

About 12 miles south of Buffalo, in Hamburg, New York, lakefront homes were completely covered in ice, giving them the appearance of spectacular ice sculptures. Foot-long icicles may be observed engulfing outdoor furniture, fences, and other exposed surfaces like roofs. The ice was so thick that it covered entire houses and automobiles.

Wind gusts exceeding 60 mph were measured on Friday by a meteorological station in nearby Watertown, New York; they peaked at 63 mph on Friday night. These images were created by the ice sculptures thanks to the strong wind and below-freezing conditions.

In Buffalo, where the winter storm first developed, Friday’s rainfall totals of nearly 2 inches were recorded. Early on Friday, arctic air moved into the region, causing temperatures to drop and heavy rain to turn to snow.

Massive waves from Lake Erie coated adjacent homes and businesses with a coating of freezing spray as the winter storm moved across Western New York. Strong gusts and crashing waves cause the cold lake water to be blown onto neighboring objects, resulting in freezing spray. The water then freezes as a result of the chilly air, creating a substantial covering of ice. The persistent wind during the Hamburg ice event caused some of the enormous icicles to develop at an angle rather than pointing downward.

22.3 inches of snow fell on Friday alone at Buffalo Niagara International Airport, and another roughly 18 inches fell on Saturday. The airport reported 43 inches of total snowfall since the storm started as of Monday morning.

The Buffalo metropolitan region was under a blizzard warning all weekend, but it was permitted to end on Sunday morning.

Similar things have happened in the past, including in February 2020 when Hamburg once more became a magnificent ice sculpture. In 2019, powerful winds in Pulaski, New York, which had also generated “ice tsunamis,” slapped lakeside homes. An “ice home” was discovered two years prior in West Webster, New York, near Lake Ontario.

Ice Castles Emerge From Buffalo Blizzard

A stunning phenomena was on display over the weekend along the shores of Lake Erie when a snowstorm with howling winds and bitter cold hit the region.

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