Rochester, NY officially received its first snow of the season this past Friday, November 9, but many Rochesterians say they’re not ready for snow just yet.
“Too early, yeah, way too early,” said Jason Horowitz, a Rochester man, in an interview with 13WHAM News. “I’m going to have to pull out the winter box and pull out the winter boots and everything. Start shoveling snow.”
The good news is that winter’s first snowfall is right on time. Syracuse typically sees its first snowfall on November 6. Buffalo’s average date is November 8.
However, with a coastal storm sweeping in, Rochester may soon be seeing more lake effect snow. The Town of Greece says it’s ready for the winter season, although the first day of winter isn’t for another six weeks.
Greece Commissioner of Public Works, Kirk Morris, says the town is prepared with 24 snow plows, 14 larger salt trucks, and 55 road trucks.
“They have their wing plows on,” Morris said. “If [weather], hopefully not, kind of takes a turn for the worst, we’re immediately able to get these trucks out and be able to respond.”
The town also has 12,000 tons of salt in a newly built barn, which is two-thirds more salt than the town’s former storage facility could hold.
“This allows us to bring the bulk of our salt on hand before winter even hits,” said Morris. “So we don’t have to have concerns about running low and waiting for delivering in order to keep pace with the winter.”
Drivers will soon be sharing the roads with more salt trucks, plows, and other winter vehicles, and have been advised to be patient and drive safely. But drivers may also want to consider being more cautious around semi-trucks.
There are up to 500,000 reefer trailers currently operating in the U.S. and approximately 94% of all hazmat shipments are made by truck.
Semi-trucks carry many different types of cargo that are picked up and dropped off at a variety of businesses. The pest control industry alone has some 27,000 businesses in operation.
During the winter, semi-trucks can become more dangerous on the road because of ice, slush, snow, and visual difficulties.
Because of this, it’s recommended to increase your following distance around semi-trucks and semi-trailers during the winter months. Be cautious when passing trucks, too. It can be difficult for truck drivers to see your vehicle and even more difficult during snowy weather.
Fortunately, the seasonal forecast for New York shows that this winter may not be as harsh as winters past. According to the National Weather Service, temperatures this winter will be warmer than usual.
“We expect El Nino to be in place in late fall to early winter,” said Mike Halpert, the deputy director of the Climate Prediction Center. “Although a weak El Nino is expected, it may still influence the winter season by bringing wetter conditions across the southern U.S., and warmer, drier conditions to parts of the North.”
El Nino refers to the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle, a scientific term describing the temperature fluctuations between the ocean and atmosphere. Average El Nino conditions in the U.S. include drier conditions in parts of the North and wetter conditions in the South.
However, the National Weather Service warns that cold temperatures and snowfall are still likely and New Yorkers should still be prepared. Snow shoveling alone is responsible for up to 100 deaths in the U.S. every year.
“Snow forecasts are generally not predictable more than a week in advance,” the National Weather Service says. “Even during a warmer-than-average winter, periods of cold temperatures and snowfall are still likely to occur.”
