U.S. Battered By Cold And Record Snow; Parts Of Ontario Under A Meter Of Snow; Early-December To Deliver Another Burial To Europe; + Solar Decline

States of emergency declared...

U.S. Battered By Cold And Snow

An Arctic air mass gripped much of the U.S. over the weekend, unleashing record snowfalls and bitterly cold temperatures.

Thanksgiving travelers faced treacherous conditions, with communities across the Great Lakes and Northern Plains struggling the most under relentless lake-effect storms and freezing air.

In New York’s Tug Hill Plateau, a healthy 46 inches (117 cm) of snow buried Barnes Corners by Sunday morning. Nearby Copenhagen saw even more, with 58.8 inches—nearly five feet—accumulating by Sunday night, according NWS data.

Local residents were left to dig out for hours. “We just keep digging out,” said Kevin Tyo, who spent his weekend battling drifts with his plow, tractor, and snowblower.

In Buffalo, a snow-covered Orchard Park Stadium posed a challenge ahead of the Bills’ Sunday night NFL game against the 49ers. The team called on fans to help clear snow from the stadium, offering $20 per hour and hot drinks.

By kickoff, 24.3 inches had blanketed the area, with wind chills in the low 20s.

Statewide, the storm disrupted travel and prompted New York Governor Kathy Hochul to declare a state of emergency for 11 counties, mobilizing more than 100 National Guard members.

Commercial vehicles were banned on I-90 along a 134-mile stretch, as forecasters warned of additional snowfall in lake-effect zones.

Officials urged residents to stay home, labeling the event “snowmageddon.”

In Erie, Pennsylvania, 31 inches of snow had settled early Sunday, stranding even the plowing trucks. North East recorded 42 inches Friday morning through Saturday afternoon, with residents describing arduous clearing efforts.

State officials reported hundreds of road incidents and activated the National Guard to assist stranded motorists. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro called conditions “treacherous” after whiteouts, ice, and deep drifts rendered many roads impassable.