I-90 · NY
I-90 (Thruway) from Buffalo to Albany: road conditions right now
Buffalo, NY to Albany, NY
The 290-mile Thruway from Buffalo to Albany starts in the Lake Erie snow belt, crosses the Lake Ontario belt near Rochester and Syracuse, and climbs into the Mohawk Valley. Lake-effect snow bands can drop feet of snow on a 20-mile stretch while the rest is clear.
Checking the forecast, NWS alerts, and DOT feeds for I-90 right now…
Why this stretch is hard in winter
- The Thruway Authority bans or restricts commercial traffic and closes sections during major lake-effect events (Nov 2014, Nov 2022, Dec 2022).
- Bands set up south of Buffalo and east of Syracuse most often; the location shifts with wind direction.
- Freezing rain in the Mohawk Valley between Utica and Albany is under-forecast and glazes the road quickly.
What this page checks
- Hourly forecast at every checkpoint for the time you would be there: temperature, precipitation type and rate, gusts, visibility.
- Active National Weather Service watches, warnings, and advisories on the route.
- Snow on the ground (NOAA SNODAS) and the Weather Prediction Center winter impact outlook.
- Pavement temperature and surface state from state DOT road sensors, when you are leaving within a few hours.
- Chain controls, closures, and winter road condition reports from state DOT feeds where they are published openly.
- Seasonal closures of mountain roads the router might otherwise use.
Official sources for this corridor
Questions drivers ask about I-90
- Will the Thruway close for lake-effect snow?
- For the biggest events, yes, especially between exits 55 and 59 south of Buffalo. Lake Effect Snow Warnings from NWS Buffalo appear on this page when active; a warning for the Southtowns usually means the Thruway there is a bad idea.
Conditions change by the hour. This page is a planning aid built on public forecasts and DOT feeds; the road authority linked above has the final word on closures and chain requirements.
Other corridors: I-80 across Wyoming · I-70 through the Colorado mountains · I-80 over Donner Pass · I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass · I-84 through the Blue Mountains · I-15 over Cajon Pass · all corridors