Western NY death toll continues to climb as winter storm rages on

The snow continues to fall and the number of casualties continues to climb in Western New York, as one of the most severe winter storms in the region's recorded history pummels residents.

The exact number of those claimed by the storm is unclear. Sunday night, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz confirmed that a 22-year-old woman was found dead in a car in Buffalo. Poloncarz said that made 13 deaths. Local WIVB, however, reported the number of Erie County victims as at least 18 – 11 in Buffalo, three in Cheektowaga and three in Amherst.

Poloncarz did note in his late-night update that he anticipated learning more.

The number of storm-related deaths could keep growing, Poloncarz said during the press conference. "Unfortunately, we do expect that number to grow," he tweeted. 

According to the National Weather Service, the temperature in Buffalo was 16 degrees early Monday morning with continued snow. Poloncarz announced that a driving ban in remained in effect for Buffalo, Lackawanna, Amherst, Cheektowaga, Clarence, Evans, Hamburg, Orchard Park and West Seneca. He said that as of Monday at 7 a.m., the ban would be lifted in other parts of the county.