Snow, and more snow, pummels parts of N.Y.

[Scotty]

February 11, 2007

Snow, and more snow, pummels parts of N.Y.

Near Lake Ontario, towns have 100-plus inches, with 2 to 4 more feet expected

By John Kekis

Associated Press

PARISH, N.Y. -- Sunshine provided a respite Saturday for residents of an area buried by more than 8 feet of snow. But another intense snow squall arrived in the afternoon.

Keep shoveling: Frank Heagerty cleared snow from a second-floor window above his storefront in Oswego, N.Y., on Saturday. - Kevin Rivoli / Associated Press

"This is bad," said Dave DeGrau, 67, who has operated an auto repair shop on Main Street for 45 years. "We had a very easy winter until now. Last fall during hunting season it rained every time I went out. I kept saying, 'I'm glad this isn't snow.' Now, it's snow."

Bands of lake-effect snow squalls fed by moisture from Lake Ontario have been swinging up and down this part of central New York since Feb. 4.

The National Weather Service said Parish -- about 25 miles northeast of Syracuse -- reached a milestone early Saturday with 100 inches of snow during the past seven days. Late Saturday, the total had risen to 110 inches. Unofficial reports pegged totals at 123 inches in Orwell and 131 in Redfield, but that included snow from a storm a couple of days before the current weather system.

A warning in effect until Monday morning said 2 to 4 more feet of snow was possible.

Residents of the nearby town of Mexico see 5- to 6-foot snowfalls every two or three years, but this time even hardened locals are amazed. The only sign of parked SUVs are their radio antennas or roof racks. Front doors are buried, and footprints lead to second-story windows.

The region is along the Tug Hill Plateau, the snowiest region this side of the Rocky Mountains. It usually gets about 300 inches -- roughly 25 feet -- of snow a year.

Still, less than a month ago it seemed more like spring.

"Gosh, three weeks ago there was green on the ground. We got spoiled," Parish Mayor Leon Heagle said.

The blast of snow hasn't been blamed for any deaths in Oswego County. Elsewhere, however, bitter cold and slick roads have contributed to at least 20 deaths: five in Ohio, four in Illinois, four in Indiana, two in Kentucky, two in Michigan, and one each in Wisconsin, Maryland and elsewhere in New York, authorities said.

[winterguy125]

I so want to be there, I would be in my own personal paradise 100 inches I don't even know what 30 inches looks like In the mean time we might get up to 4 inches tonight, and another 6 on Tuesday, though I am not holding my breath for either to happen So far the biggest storm we have had was 2 inches.