To view this site you need Adobe Flash Player and your browser must allow javaScripts. Go here to get the latest Flash Player. Buffalo Blizzards While I poke fun at our weather throughout this book, occasionally Buffalo receives a blizzard that is the real deal, and no joke. When all of the elements perfectly align, Western New York can receive a knockout punch that paralyzes our region for days, and sometimes for weeks. To be an actual blizzard, the National Weather Service sets the bar pretty high. An official blizzard must have sustained winds of 35 mph, blowing snow that reduces visibility to less than 500 feet, and last for at least three hours. Oddly enough, temperature is not part of the equation, but really cold temperatures generally come along for the ride. Here in Western New York, we don’t bother with the official definition, we just look for the usual signs: • The Skyway closes • You and your co-workers find yourself “bonding” for several days and nights at the office. The candy machine becomes a treasured food source. • The crawl at the bottom of the television screen reserved for school and event closings simply reads, “don’t bother” as snow days evolve into snow weeks. • You instantly become very popular because you own a heavy duty snow blower, a generator, or an SUV. • The Skyway remains closed • You start to hum along to the elevator music on the Weather Channel • Hundreds of your buddies from the National Guard come spend the week page 24 Right: The twin towers of the H.H. Richardson Complex, looking even spookier than usual on a cold, winter night