7 feet of snow: Buffalo area school districts forced to grant first two-hour delay opening in 78 years

Above: A wall of snow moves inland from unfrozen Lake Erie in western New York state on November 18, 2014. Parts of Erie, Cattaraugus, and Chautauqua Counties, south of Buffalo, received nearly seven feet of snow from the intense, slow-moving band of precipitation. The region, which annually receives huge amounts of lake effect snow, was forced to open schools two hours late during the most intense part of the storm. "I think seven feet of snow is enough to have a two-hour delayed opening," said Eileen McAntyre, Superintendent of Hamburg (NY) Area School District. "[Residents of western New York] are used to snow and I really hope I don't come across as a wimp for opening two hours late. It's been 78 years since the last delayed school opening in this area."