Lake effect recap; Snow swamps W. N.Y.

The third major lake-effect snow event of the season is winding across Western New York. More than 2 feet of snow fell since early Thursday.

The WeatherRadar is still showing a few squalls early Friday across upstate New York downwind of Lake Ontario. Communities in the Lake Erie snowbelts south of Buffalo are beginning to cleanup as snow has ended.

The highest snowfall occurred south of Buffalo along I-90. Traffic was snarled as heavy snow falling at a rate of 6 inches an hour and wind gusts reaching 40 mph caused massive drifts. A snowball effect of cars and trucks stuck in the snow occurred and it took hours for rescuers to retrieve occupants. A travel ban was in effect.

Even snowplows had trouble seeing through the snow. A plow driver lost sight of the road during the height of the storm and went off the road and tipped over. No one was hurt, but that was one less plow clearing road for a time.

Across western Michigan, wintry weather caused slicked roads.

In Kalamazoo, a terrifying close call for first responders occurred as a box truck crashed into them on icy roads.

Clean-up will remain slow as cold weather becomes locked in place. The TemperatureRadar shows teens and 20s for the next several days before getting above freezing later this week.