Parts of New York were hit by a lake-effect snowstorm on Friday, causing white-out conditions for drivers during one of the busiest weeks of the year.

Thanksgiving week brought frigid temperatures across much of the United States, with areas such as the Midwest, parts of the South and New York experiencing cold weather and snow in one of the busiest travel weeks of the year as winter approaches.

In New York, a snowstorm hit parts of the northern and western parts of the state near the Great Lakes on Friday, creating potentially dangerous conditions for drivers the day after Thanksgiving, according to local news reports.

The National Weather Service (NWS) wrote in a post

Newsweek emailed the New York City Department of Transportation seeking comment.

In New York, the storms hit areas bordering Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, including Buffalo. Areas north of Syracuse and around Watertown were also affected.

Lake effect snow occurs when cold, dry air flows over a body of water, in this case the Great Lakes, and picks up moisture from the lake’s surface. As air moves over land, it cools and moisture condenses, resulting in snowfall.

According to the NWS, there could be up to several feet of snow in Watertown. Between 11 and 17 inches of snow is expected to fall Friday night. There could be 10 to 16 inches of snow Saturday and 12 to 18 inches overnight. Snow is expected to continue on Sunday and end on Monday morning when it will be sunnier.

The Buffalo NWS wrote in a Facebook post that travel conditions in the area were “extremely poor” and three inches of snow was falling per hour east of Lake Erie.

“Maybe it doesn’t matter much where you’re traveling from or where your destination is, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be bad along the way. “Avoid traveling into the lake effect bands tonight and throughout the weekend,” the post said.

According to the service’s forecast, Buffalo will continue to experience snow showers Saturday, primarily after 1 p.m. and before 3 a.m. There is still a chance of snow showers for the rest of the week.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency on Friday and imposed a driving ban on empty commercial vehicles and tandem commercial vehicles.

“That’s all the way from the Pennsylvanian line to Interstate 390 via I-90 to Exit 53 and also 219 to the Pennsylvanian line,” Hochul said during a press conference.

She continued: “This is to ensure that we do not end up with overturned vehicles, which can be very dangerous and, as we have already seen, can literally shut down our major roads or the New York State Thruway.”