NEWS

Rochester snowstorm: What you need to know Wednesday

Scott Norris, James Johnson, and Leo Roth

Democrat and Chronicle

Jen Perena took advantage of the heavy snowfall to use her cross country skis along Park Avenue.

After dumping 26.7 inches at the airport, and even more across the Southern Tier, a massive snowstorm appears to have run its course in Rochester.

But there are still walks to be shoveled, snowblowers to be pushed, and cars to be dug out of snow piled high by plows. And while the snow may have stopped, the winds have not, so drifting snow will continue to cause problems.

Multiple activities across western New York have been canceled, including Wednesday's game between the Rochester Americans and Binghamton Senators at the Blue Cross Arena. The Binghamton area received even more snow than Rochester (32 inches, according to the National Weather Service), so travel for the Senators would have been challenging.

As of 8 p.m., a total of 26.7 inches had fallen at the Greater Rochester International Airport since the storm began. The 15.6 inches that was recorded at the airport Tuesday in Rochester set a record for March 14. The previous record, 8.2 inches, was set in 1993.

►Snowfall totals for Rochester area

Local government officials asked that neighbors and relatives check on conditions for the elderly, that snow be removed from fire hydrants and that any shoveling is done with care and breaks to reduce risk of heart attacks and injuries.

Rochester weather records: Database shows records snowfall, temps

Here's the latest on the storm:

Travel restrictions

Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo has announced that the "no unnecessary travel advisory" will be lifted at 5 a.m. Thursday and that the county's Emergency Operations Center, which has been operational since last week's windstorm, will be deactivated.

Dinolfo also asked drivers to watch for children in snowbanks.

Wayne County Sheriff Barry Virts also issued a "no unnecessary travel advisory" until 5 a.m. Thursday. The same advisory was issued in Ontario, Seneca and Yates counties.

The advisories are warnings of hazardous driving conditions, not bans. Genesee County lifted its travel advisory 9 a.m. Wednesday.

"Don't travel if you don't have to, if you must travel take it slow,'' Greece Police Chief Patrick Phelan tweeted. "If your late people will understand, if they don't tell them to call me."

All roads in Cayuga County however, are closed unless for essential travel until 6 a.m. Thursday. Only emergency personnel, those traveling to or from work and individuals with a health or safety emergency are allowed on the roads, according to Cayuga County Sheriff David Gould in a release to media.

Cancellations and closings

Every school district in Monroe County was closed Wednesday, but there was no indication yet of whether classes would be held Thursday.

Several area colleges also announced closings, including the Rochester Institute of Technology, St. John Fisher College and Monroe Community College.

The University of Rochester, the region's largest employer, is operating on a limited basis. Only Medical Center and other essential employees should report to work.

The City of Rochester's City Hall, neighborhood service centers, recreation centers and libraries, including the central location, are closed. Garbage and recycling collection has been pushed back a day.

All facilities and programs run by the Town of Pittsford are closed, including the Spiegel Community Center, VanHuysen Senior Center, town court, library and town hall. This is also the case in Irondequoit and with the Orleans County government, with the exceptions of the police department, department of public works and emergency personnel.

The Jewish Community Center in Brighton, the Diocese of Rochester Pastoral Center in Gates and the Strong Museum in Rochester also are closed Wednesday. The same goes for Marketplace and Eastview Malls, plus the Mall at Greece Ridge.

While many businesses and schools remained closed, the United States Postal Service was on the job.

Mark Lombardi, a part-time carrier, made deliveries from his truck, stuffing envelopes from his truck into snow-covered boxes on one cul-de-sac in Greece. He was doing his best to live up to the mailman’s creed: "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."

“Yeah, a little bit more or less,’’ Lombardi said with a smile. “The roads are plowed but still slippery. There’s not too much traffic.’’

Wegmans Food Markets are open, though the company was forced to close supermarkets in Syracuse and Pennsylvania. The Rochester City School District Board of Education's finance and student achievement committee meetings were postponed to later, undetermined dates.

The Rochester Americans have postponed their 7:05 p.m. game against the Binghamton Senators due to the inclement weather. The game will be made up at 7:05 on April 5. Tickets for Wednesday's game will be valid for the April 5 game or can be redeemed for any remaining regular season home game. Call the Amerks at (585) 454-5335 if you have questions regarding tickets.

Outages

One silver lining to the storm: The lights are back on for all but 49 of Rochester Gas and Electric's customers in Monroe County, according to the utility's website. However, some residents complained Tuesday that the lists were unreliable. A statement from RG&E:

“RG&E crews are on site at every remaining outage to make repairs. Customers should check online at RGE.com or call 1-800 743-1701 for their estimated restoration time. They can also sign up for an outage alert to receive a text message about any outage status."