Western New York will receive its first sustained taste of winter this week.
A cold front will move through the region Sunday, bringing with it strong, gusty winds and lower temperatures. A wind advisory for gusts up to 55 miles per hour is in effect throughout the eight-county region.
Sunday morning's highs in the upper 40s will soon be a memory. Plunging temperatures will turn on the lake effect snow machine.
The lake snow will begin falling in ski country Sunday night, accumulating more than a foot by Monday night. There is a lake effect snow warning for Southern Erie, Chautauqua and Cattaraugus Counties from 7pm Sunday through 7pm Monday.
The lake snow will begin moving north toward the Buffalo area Monday. Lake effect snow will persist throughout the week and could be heavy at times in Buffalo.
The State Thruway Authority said it is deploying equipment from Albany and downstate areas to Western New York in preparation for the lake effect snow.