Today's Edition

Sunday, March 8, 2026

Top Story

Historic Storm Buries
Central New York Under
Record Snowfall

Lake-effect system shatters 47-year records as Onondaga County declares state of emergency; schools and roads closed across seven counties

By Margaret A. Holloway · Observer Staff Reporter · Updated 6:42 a.m.

Syracuse skyline blanketed under nearly two feet of snow as the historic storm continues through midday. (Photo: David Chen / Observer)

An extraordinary lake-effect snowstorm has paralyzed Central New York, depositing nearly 22 inches of snow across the Syracuse metropolitan area overnight and into Sunday morning — shattering records that had stood since the blizzard of 1979 and prompting Onondaga County Executive Sandra Wills to declare a state of emergency at 3:15 a.m.

The National Weather Service confirmed that Liverpool recorded 21.8 inches by 6 a.m., while Camillus and parts of Onondaga Hill reported accumulations approaching 26 inches. Forecasters warn the system may deliver an additional 8 to 14 inches before weakening late Sunday afternoon.

"This is a generational storm," said Dr. Paul Frawley, meteorologist at the NWS Buffalo forecast office. "The combination of Lake Ontario moisture and an unusually stagnant upper-level trough produced exactly the conditions we feared when we issued warnings Thursday."

⛅ Syracuse Weather

Today

❄️

28^°

Heavy Snow

Monday

🌥

34^°

Cloudy

Tuesday

🌤

41^°

Partial Sun

Editorial

Syracuse Must Finally Invest in Its Aging Snow Infrastructure

The Editorial Board

Year after year, Central New York absorbs the brunt of lake-effect fury. Year after year, city and county officials cite budget constraints rather than solutions. The time for incremental thinking has passed.

🏀 SU Athletics

Syracuse Orange

vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

78–71

SU Women's Lax

vs. Boston College

14–9

SU Hockey

vs. UMass

3–5 L

Local News

Politics

City Council Approves $180M Canal District Revitalization

By Thomas R. Aguilar

After three years of debate and two failed referenda, the Syracuse City Council voted 7–2 Thursday to approve a sweeping $180 million redevelopment of the Erie Canal corridor stretching from downtown to Armory Square.

Proponents say the plan will create more than 2,400 permanent jobs and add over $600 million in taxable property value within a decade. Critics warn of displacement risks for residents in the Tipp Hill and Near West Side neighborhoods adjacent to the canal.

"This is the moment Central New York has been waiting for since the canal era ended."

— Mayor Patricia Okafor

Education

Syracuse University Announces New $50M College of Innovation

By Lisa Chen-Williams

Syracuse University Chancellor Marguerite D. Thornton announced Friday a $50 million gift from alumnus Gerald Finch '81 to establish the Finch College of Innovation, dedicated to interdisciplinary research in artificial intelligence, sustainable engineering, and public health technology.

The new college, expected to open its doors in fall 2027, will admit its inaugural class of 300 undergraduate students and 150 graduate fellows, making it one of the largest single-donor gifts in SU's 152-year history.

Finch Gift Follows $28M Endowment for Diversity Scholarships in '24

Related · Education Desk

Business

Pinnacle Tech's $40M Raise Signals Growing CNY Tech Corridor

By Darnell J. Watkins

Pinnacle Technologies, the Syracuse-based data analytics firm, announced a $40 million Series B funding round led by Boston venture firm Arbor Capital, in what local economic development officials are calling the largest tech investment in Central New York history.

CEO Alicia Moreno said the company, which employs 180 people in its headquarters on Erie Boulevard East, plans to double its workforce by 2027 and open satellite offices in Buffalo and Albany.

CNY's Tech Sector Added 3,200 Jobs in 2025, Report Finds

Business · 2 hrs ago

State Pledges Additional Tax Incentives for Upstate Startups

Politics · Yesterday

Opinion & Commentary

Analysis

The Long Shadow of Carrier: What Deindustrialization Still Owes Syracuse

By Dr. Renata V. Castillo · Guest Columnist, Maxwell School

Thirty years after Carrier Corporation shuttered its Thompson Road plant and sent 1,100 jobs to Mexico, the wound has never quite closed. You can see it in the industrial vacancy corridors of the Near Eastside, feel it in the persistent gap in median wages between Onondaga County and the statewide average. You can measure it in the statistics, but the statistics alone do not capture the particular grief of a city that once built the machines that cooled the world.

The redevelopment of the Carrier campus — now being contemplated as part of the canal corridor plan — should be approached not merely as an economic opportunity but as an act of civic reckoning. What would it mean to build something in that space that genuinely serves the people displaced by its erasure?

The answer, I would argue, requires us to stop treating workforce development as a line item and start treating it as the central pillar of any serious urban renewal strategy. The Canal District plan as written devotes 4% of its capital budget to retraining programs. That is not a commitment. That is a gesture.

"We keep building downtown for the people who might move here. What about the people who stayed?"

— Dr. Renata V. Castillo

Mayor Okafor's administration deserves credit for moving the canal plan forward after years of stagnation. But credit is not a substitute for equity. The hard work of making this revitalization meaningful — rather than merely photogenic — still lies ahead.

Letters

Readers Respond to Storm Coverage

"The Observer's live storm blog was the only reliable source of information all night. Thank you for keeping us informed when the power was out and radio was static."

— Karen M., Eastwood

Community Notices

STORM SHELTER OPEN: Onondaga County has opened 14 emergency warming shelters. Nearest locations at Nottingham High School, Fowler High School, and the Oncenter. Call 315-435-2235.

ROAD CONDITIONS: All Onondaga County roads remain snow emergency routes through at least 8 p.m. Sunday. No parking on designated routes; violators will be towed.

SCHOOLS CLOSED: Syracuse City School District, West Genesee, Jamesville-DeWitt, and Fayetteville-Manlius will be closed Monday, March 9. Check district websites for updates.

GROCERY HOURS: Most Price Chopper and Wegmans locations will operate on reduced hours (9 a.m.–5 p.m.) through Sunday. Call ahead before traveling.

Historic Storm BuriesCentral New York UnderRecord Snowfall