EXPLAINER: How blizzard stunned even winter-wise Buffalo

By CAROLYN THOMPSON
Associated Press

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The death toll from the blizzard that hit the Buffalo area over the weekend has grown to nearly 40. Homes are only beginning to warm after days without heat, and drivers are still claiming cars they had to abandon. In a region that prides itself on handling heavy snowfall, the natural question is why this storm was so deadly and disruptive? State and local officials note that they declared emergencies, warned residents, and positioned crews before the first winds blew. But the ferocity of the blizzard severely limited what crews could do, even in responding to 911 calls.