Snowfall totals as high as 77 inches were reported in the Buffalo suburb of Orchard Park, home to the NFL's Buffalo Bills. Partway across the state, the town of Natural Bridge, near the Fort Drum Army base, reported just under 6 feet .
The lake-effect storm, caused by cold air picking up moisture from warmer lakes, created narrow bands of windblown snow that dumped feet of snow in some communities, while leaving towns a short drive away relatively unscathed. Their reception venue cancelled, rescheduling for next week. The musician they hired for their church ceremony also couldn't make it, along with more than half of their expected 180 guests.
Partial sunshine and a break from the snow came in some of the hardest-hit areas south of Buffalo's center Saturday as the snow bands shifted north. Poloncarz tweeted that two people in the Buffalo area died "associated with cardiac events related to exertion during shoveling/snow blowing."