Snowstorm forces closure of 132-mile stretch of NY Thruway

PHOTOGRAPHER: The Associated Press

Severe weather has shut down a 132-mile stretch of the Thruway in western New York for the second time since the epic November snowstorm.

The Thruway Authority closed Interstate 90 at midnight Thursday from Exit 46 outside Rochester to Exit 61 at Ripley, on the Pennsylvania border 60 miles southwest of Buffalo.

Lake-effect snow and high winds have caused hazardous driving conditions across western New York, where a section of Interstate 190 and other Buffalo-area highways remain closed Friday.

The National Weather Service says up to 14 inches of snow has fallen on parts of the Buffalo area Friday morning, with another 8 to 16 inches possible by the end of the day.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday night that the Thruway would close because of forecasts calling for 2 to 3 feet of snow south and east of Buffalo.