Outside help sought for Erie lakeshore communities in the wake of historic snowfall.

The latest on Erie's record-setting snowstorm:



10 p.m.

Erie County government offices, including the Erie County Courthouse, the Erie County Department of Health and the Erie County Public Library, will open at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. Any 24/7 operations of Erie County government, including the Erie County Prison, will operate on regular schedules. The Erie County Public Library at the Millcreek Mall will be closed on Wednesday, as will the Millcreek Mall. The Erie County Public Library's Bookmobile also will not be operating on Wednesday. All other branches will follow the county's 10 a.m. opening.

8:35 p.m.



Closed Wednesday, Dec. 27 (notifications as of 8:35 p.m.)

Martin Luther King Center, including child care Millcreek Mall Gannon University Recreation and Wellness Center Erie Federal Courthouse Erie County Assistance Office Accudyn Products Young Environment Learning Center Playway Loving Childcare Center St. Mark Catholic Center Advanced Finishing, Fairview Little Wonders Child Care Add yours to the list at Facebook.com/GoErie

Good evening,#EriePA. The State of Emergency is still in effect until the end of business tomorrow: Wednesday, December 27th. Therefore, Millcreek Mall will be closed tomorrow. Should there be a change, a decision will be made by 1 p.m. tomorrow.

— Millcreek Mall (@MillcreekMall)December 26, 2017

7:19 p.m.

A storm that has dumped 60 inches of snow on Erie since Sunday night will bring another heavy blast of lake-effect snow to portions of Erie County Tuesday night and Wednesday.

The National Weather Service in Cleveland is forecasting possible snow accumulation of an additional 7 inches Tuesday night and into the early morning Wednesday.

"We've got another lake-effect band offshore on Lake Erie that should be moving along the Erie shoreline this evening,'' said Cory Mottice, a meteorologist with the NWS in Cleveland. "You'll see the heaviest snow through 3 a.m. Wednesday. After that, it will be light snow showers most of Wednesday.''

The weather service is forecasting 2 inches to 4 inches of snow in the Erie region on Wednesday.

5:35 p.m.

What will Erie do with all its snow?

Dale Robinson, Erie County's Emergency Management coordinator, said the city of Erie will likely follow its standard procedure of dumping all of this excess snow into Presque Isle Bay near the Erie Wastewater Treatment Plant. Snow can also be placed in large fields if needed.

Though the forecast shows no immediate warm-ups, Robinson said the county will have to prepare for such a scenario, which could lead to flooding and several other problems.

5:28 p.m.

As of 5 p.m., National Weather Service is reporting that Erie has received 97 inches of snow in December.

Erie Snowfall By the Numbers:

Inches this season, 92.5.

Inches this month, 92.

Snowfall in inches between 7 p.m. Christmas Eve and 1 p.m. Tuesday, 56.5. Snowfall on Christmas Day, 34 inches.

Previous record for snowfall in December, 66.9 inches.#ErieLive

— Matthew Rink (@ETNrink)December 26, 2017

5:16 p.m.

The Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority will discontinue bus service at 9 p.m. Tuesday.

EMTA said it made the decision because of the worsening weather conditions and for the safety of its employees.

EMTA had already limited its service during the day Tuesday:

Routes 14, 16, 105 and 229 will not be running Tuesday and all rural Erie County service has been canceled. The Intermodal Transit Center will not be serviced. Route 3 will stay on Peach Street due to impassable parking lots and side streets. Route 27 will not be servicing Presque Isle Downs & Casino due to impassable parking lots. The route will turn around at the Erie Veterans Medical Center.Route 28 is not servicing Agility Marketing due to impassable roads. Route 29 will not service Fortis Institute due to impassable roads.

4:18 p.m.

The Millcreek Township Police Department is urging residents to refrain from calling the department's non-emergency line for concerns related to the snowstorm. It is also asking residents to stop calling the department with updates regarding its "state of emergency" declaration. Any changes in that status will be made by the Millcreek Township Emergency Management Office, which will notify the public accordingly.

"Our dispatchers are taxed with numerous calls related to traffic accidents, motorist assist requests, etc. Other calls described above are creating a strain on our dispatching services."

The department also reminds residents that parking is prohibited on township roadways during the storm.

3:48 p.m.

A number of flights continue to get canceled at the Erie International Airport because of historic snowfall and winter weather conditions.

The latest: Delta Flight 4285, scheduled to depart for Detroit Wednesday morning at 6.

Tuesday afternoon and night cancellations:

United Flight 3794, scheduled to arrive in Erie from Chicago O'Hare at 4:14 p.m.

United Flight 3799, scheduled to depart for Chicago O-Hare at 4:45 p.m.

Delta Flight 4287, scheduled to arrive in Erie from Detroit at 5:42 p.m. and then depart for Detroit again at 6:07 p.m.

American Flight 4850, scheduled to arrive in Erie from Philadelphia at 6:18 p.m. and then depart for Philadelphia again at 6:44 p.m.

Delta Flight 7410, scheduled to arrive from Detroit at 9:45 p.m.

Visit the Erie airport flight monitor for real-time updates.

1:25 p.m.

Erie County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper has signed a declaration of disaster emergency in the wake of the heavy snow that fell over the past two days and the additional snow that is expected to continue into Wednesday.

The declaration allows the county's emergency management officials to coordinate any action necessary for emergency response in the storm, Dahlkemper said after signing the declaration Tuesday afternoon.

Dale Robinson, the county's emergency management coordinator, said Tuesday afternoon that the declaration will allow officials to bring in some National Guard resources, "really for precautionary measures for the additional amount of snow we think we're going to get."

"When you're dealing with lake effect, it's like a crap shoot," Robinson said.

A lake effect snow warning remains in effect for Erie County through Wednesday afternoon. Dahlkemper said officials expect another 12 inches of snow to fall.

"We want to make sure we're prepared," she said.

Robinson said officials are working to get some Humvee ambulances available in case the additional snow makes it impossible for standard ambulances to reach areas of Erie, Millcreek or other parts of the region that have been hit hard by heavy snows.

The only issues that county officials have dealt with on Tuesday were travel-related issues, Robinson said. He said the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation was bringing in extra resources to keep the state routes plowed, and that Erie and Millcreek Township had all of their plow crews out working.

Dahlkemper said the Erie County 911 center has not seen an increase in calls Tuesday.

"I think (people) did the right thing and stayed home," she said.

"We're just telling everyone to stay off the roads, and asking people to make sure they're cleaning those fire hydrants in their neighborhood," Robinson added.

12:50 p.m.

Millcreek Township Office of Emergency Management reported the trash disposal system for the township, Advanced Disposal, will be delayed by two days.

"That means tomorrow's pick-up will be for the normal Monday trash. They intend on working through the weekend to get caught up," according to the office. "So if your normal pick-up is on Friday you will put that curbside for Sunday morning."

The office also reminds residents to avoid putting cans/bags in plowed roads.

12:19 p.m.

The Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority reported it has a few altered and canceled bus routes due to snow Tuesday.

Routes 14, 16, 105 and 229 will not be running Tuesday and all rural Erie County service has been canceled.

The Intermodal Transit Center will not be serviced.

Route 3 will stay on Peach Street due to impassable parking lots and side streets.

Route 27 will not be servicing Presque Isle Downs & Casino due to impassable parking lots. The route will turn around at the Erie Veterans Medical Center.

Route 28 is not servicing Agility Marketing due to impassable roads.

Route 29 will not service Fortis Institute due to impassable roads.

11:52 a.m.

There's a simple answer to what's causing historically high amounts of snow to bury Erie, said Zach Sefcovic, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Cleveland.

"Blame Lake Erie," he said late Tuesday morning.

What's different about this snow event, Sefcovic said, is that the "high-impact snow event" that was predicted featured snow bands that set up right along the Lake Erie shoreline. While traditional lake-effect snow events tend to drop higher amounts of snow in the high-terrain areas south of Erie, it was the city, Millcreek Township and other lakeshore communities that received "these astronomical snow totals over the last 48 hours," he said.

NWS Cleveland had measured 55 inches of snow at its official measuring spot, at the Erie International Airport, as of 7 a.m. Tuesday, Sefcovic said.

A lake-effect snow warning remains in place for Erie County through Wednesday at 4 p.m. But if the pattern remains favorable, the potential for more significant snow could continue into Wednesday night, Sefcovic said.

"Right now the band looks like it's setting up south of Erie and those areas with the most snowfall. Of course, with lake effect, they can wobble back and forth," he said, adding that portions of Ashtabula County were getting significant show late Tuesday morning.

11:08 a.m.

The City of Erie was prepared for an onslaught of snow that hit the city beginning Sunday night, but not the magnitude of snow "that we haven't seen in many years in this town," Mayor Joe Sinnott said Tuesday morning.

Weather forecasters were predicting significant amounts of snow for Erie County on Monday and Tuesday. But those predictions fell short of the 53 inches of snow that the National Weather Service in Cleveland measured as of 6 a.m. Tuesday.

Sinnott said city plow crews were focusing Monday on the main routes of the city, to get those cleared before the plow drivers turned their attention to secondary roads. But the main runs "were filling up as fast as they could plow it, and they never got off the main runs until today," he said.

A letup in snowfall late Tuesday morning should allow city plow drivers to hit the side streets, Sinnott said. He said the best thing residents can do is to stay off the roads until crews get them all "open and safe," and to respect the odd-even parking rules.

10:45 a.m.

It was a surreal scene in downtown Erie on Tuesday morning, as the heavy snows that blanketed the city over the past two days kept activity to a minimum.

Mostly empty Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority buses passed vacant bus shelters on Peach Street, with the freshly-cleaned sidewalks separated from the plowed streets by shoulder-high mounds of snow. More people were seen traveling through the downtown on foot than in vehicles, and many of those vehicles passing through were slipping and sliding on the packed-down snow.

One person out walking Tuesday morning was a man who identified himself only as Rick. He was carrying a shovel as he headed west on West 11th Street from State Street, and he said he was trying to make a few dollars and to "keep my muscles going" by offering to shovel show to whoever needed his help.

"You know, I'm 63 years old, so I've got to keep busy," Rick said.

He said he was also out Tuesday morning ministering to people.

"I'm a God-fearing man, that's basically it," he said. "God is good. He gave us this snow. We always want a white Christmas. Well, we got one."

Some businesses downtown were open on Tuesday morning. But some were closed down because of the storm, including the Key Bank branch at 801 State, where a sign on the front door stated that the branch was temporarily closed because of the weather.

10:15 a.m.

City of Erie plow crews are starting to make some progress in getting roadways clear of massive amounts of snow that have fallen over the past few days, Chuck Zysk, the city's assistant director of Public Works, said Tuesday morning.

The city had 24 trucks out Tuesday morning, and 25 pieces of equipment would be working through the afternoon and overnight, Zysk said.

"We're plowing some main streets still," he said. "We have crews in the inner-city areas, the odd-even areas. From there we'll go into the residential areas."

Zysk said he has never seen this amount of snow in such a short period of time. The National Weather Service in Cleveland reported earlier Tuesday morning that 53 inches of snow had fallen on the city on Monday and through 6 a.m. Tuesday.

"I think our guys are doing a tremendous job. But we have work ahead of us," he said.

Zysk said his crews will be helped by motorists who stay off the roadways, making it easier for plow drivers to clear streets.

Erie police Deputy Chief Aaron Wassell said Tuesday morning that officers have encountered a number of vehicles that were abandoned in the middle of city roadways after they got stuck in the high snow.

9:12 a.m.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has restricted commercial vehicle and motorcycle traffic on parts of Interstate 86 and Interstate 90 because of the snowstorm.

The restriction was put in place shortly before 9 a.m. Tuesday on I-86 and I-90 from the New York line to the Interstate 79 interchange. Included in the restriction are lightly-loaded or empty tractor-trailers, recreational vehicles, non-commercial vehicles towing trailers and motorcycles, according to a release issued by PennDOT.

The agency is urging motorists to avoid unnecessary travel. Speed limits have been reduced to 45 mph on the interstates in Erie County.

U.S. mail delivery is still "scheduled" for the day, according to post office officials. Carriers are still scheduled to deliver mail.

West 11th Street in#Erie has a zombie apocalypse feel, with more people on foot than in carspic.twitter.com/rIUQSvEXXq

— Tim Hahn (@ETNhahn)December 26, 2017

8:40 a.m.

Millcreek Township has joined Erie in declaring a snow emergency.

Township officials stated in a news release that, because of the snow emergency, drivers are not permitted on township roads without snow tires or chains. Any person found driving without them may be subject to fines.

Millcreek officials have also suspended the eight-hour notice for vehicles parked on roads. There is no on-street parking allowed during the snow emergency, and vehicles will be towed without notice, officials said.

7:45 a.m.

The National Weather Service in Cleveland is now reporting via Twitter that Erie picked up an additional 19 inches of snow between midnight Monday and 6 a.m. Tuesday, bringing the two-day total to 53 inches. It is the greatest two-day total in the state, surpassing 44 inches that fell in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, over two days in March 1958, according to the post.

Erie, PA picked up 19" of new snow from midnight to 6 AM. This brings the storm total to 53" over the past 30 hours, shattering many records. This is the greatest 2-day total in the entire state of PA (prev. record 44" in Morgantown, PA 3/20-21/1958).

— NWS Cleveland (@NWSCLE)December 26, 2017

Erie County 911 reports that parts of three area roadways are closed because of the snow: Route 20 near Manchester Road, and parts of Francis and Ivarea roads in Franklin Township.

City of Erie officials have issued a snow emergency because roads are "dangerous and impassable," and residents were asked to stay off city streets until the snow stops and roads can reopen.

Pennsylvania State Police Troop E in Lawrence Park Township issued an alert Tuesday morning telling motorists that because of record snowfall levels, poor visibility and deteriorating conditions, travel on all area roadways in Erie County is not recommended.

PennDOT is encouraging motorists to stay off of roadways. Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day. The service provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 825 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

Winter weather with heavy snow squalls and gusty winds continue to impact the Erie area of northwestern Pennsylvania. Please avoid any unnecessary travel in that area during this storm. If you must travel, please have patience and use caution.

— 511PA Erie (@511PAErie)December 26, 2017

7 a.m.

The City of Erie declared a snow emergency on Tuesday morning as historic amounts of snow continue to pile up in the region.

Flakes continued to fall a day after a record 34 inches of snow fell on the city on Monday, according to the National Weather Service in Cleveland. Many of the region's main routes, including Interstate 79 and Interstate 90, were snow-covered but were passable Tuesday. But the same wasn't true for many side roads, including much of the side roads in Erie and Millcreek Township, officials reported.

"Most of the side roads have either not been touched or are one lane," said Matt Exley, Millcreek's emergency management coordinator. "Crews were all out over the last 24 hours. We have a fresh crew coming in at 9 a.m. These guys have been working their tails off just trying to keep main routes as passable as possible."

Erie police responded to numerous reports of vehicles stuck on side roads Tuesday morning, Sgt. Rick Spadacene said.

"We're trying to tell people that if they see someone stuck to call a wrecker," he said. "If someone is blocking an intersection we will try to get them out."

About one-tenth of an inch of precipitation had fallen at the Erie International Airport for the day on Tuesday at 6:51 a.m., according to information on the National Weather Service Cleveland's website. But another 8 to 16 inches of snow is expected in Erie County through Tuesday night, with 4 to 8 additional inches expected through Wednesday evening, when an issued lake effect snow warning is expected to expire.

Authorities are asking people to stay off area roadways if possible to give plow crews the opportunity to clear them.

Closings:

Erie County closings, Tuesday, Dec. 26

Erie City Council (due to holiday) Erie County Courthouse (due to holiday) Erie County Federal Courthouse Erie County Assistance Office Locomotive & Control EFCU Downtown and West Lake KinderCare centers Little Wonders Child Care LECOM Erie campus (except for security) Lynch Home Medical in Lawrence Park Erie Elks Lodge UPMC urgent care, Peach Street and 26th Street locations FitKids childcare Eastside, downtown and Glenwood YMCA locations Smartstyle in Walmart on Harborcreek OBGYN Associates of Erie Harley Davidson of Erie All Erie and Millcreek Township Starbucks locations Cloud 9 Wine Bar (for lunch) Whole Foods Cooperative O'Charley's restaurant U Pick 6 Public House Prep and Villa Events Center All Valvoline Express Care centers McGarrey's Oakwood Cafe Dominick’s, 123 E. 12th St., closing at 1 p.m. instead of 11 p.m. Cinemark Tinseltown USA Transportation Solutions Millcreek Mall Once Upon a Child UPMC Health Plan Rum Runners Cove Mariner Finance Buffalo Wild Wings Erie Art Museum Americo Federal Credit Union Erie Yellow Cab TGI Fridays restaurant expERIEnce Children's Museum Tom Ridge Environmental Center, including Big Green Screen Dunkin' Donuts, both locations Firehouse Subs Community Blood Bank Erie Donor Center St. Paul's Child Development Center World of Music Ruby’s Antiques And Gifts in North East Pizza Hut locations: Girard, Peninsula Drive, Peach Street, East 38th Street, Buffalo Road, and Edinboro Erie Federal Credit Union branches Erie CareerLink Plaza Dental Associates Brew Brothers at Presque Isle Downs and Casino LBV Steak & Pasta at Presque Isle Downs and Casino

Cancellations

North East wrestling practice JTEF bingo at the Saga Club

Closed Wednesday, Dec. 27

Gannon University Recreation and Wellness Center Erie Federal Courthouse Erie County Assistance Office Accudyn Products