Onondaga County residents are bracing for hazardous weather conditions Thursday as a winter storm is expected to bring heavy, wet snow.
The National Weather Service office in Binghamton issued a winter storm warning for Onondaga, Madison and Oneida counties through 7 a.m. Saturday. The severe weather is expected to bring 9 to 15 inches of total snow accumulation with gusts up to 35 mph.
Meteorologist Mark Pellerito said that the main hazard is not the amount to snow that will fall, but rather the kind of snow this storm will bring.
"I don't want anyone to get too hung up on the exact number of inches because the key point is that this is going to be a heavier, icy, wet snow. Very, very dense," Pellerito said. "And so it can be a little difficult to shovel and plow."
The National Weather Service warned the storm could bring down tree branches, cause power outages and create dangerous driving conditions.
"Travel could be very difficult to impossible," the warning said.
The agency warned those who must travel to keep a flashlight, food and water in their vehicle.
