BUFFALO, NY – The third major lake-effect snowstorm since late November is inundating Great Lakes communities with strong winds and heavy snow, creating dangerous travel conditions and a state of emergency in parts of New York state.

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New York Governor Kathy Hochul gave up

Additionally, a tandem and empty driving ban was implemented in both directions on the New York State Thruway (Interstate 90) from Exit 53 West to the Pennsylvania state line, as well as portions of Route 5, US 219, NY Route 400 and Interstate 86.

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“Our first responders and emergency teams are on site and ready to deal with this storm,” Hochul said in a post on X. “I urge New Yorkers to take precautions to stay safe.”

Snow has fallen fast and heavily in parts of Pennsylvania and New York, and several communities already have more than a foot of snow.

About 19 inches fell in the Orchard Park, New York area, and other communities in the state, such as Hamburg and Eden, also saw over a foot of snow. There are many more on the way.

There were also reports of rare thunderstorms in the Watertown, New York area early Thursday morning. Thunder snow is when thunder and flash are observed while precipitation falls in the frozen variant. Similar ThunderstormThunderstorms require a significant amount of atmospheric Instability and in areas where the phenomenon occurs, Snowfall rates can be exceptionally difficult.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said he has been informed that a local state of emergency has also been declared in cities in Western New York, including Brant and Evans. Travel bans were imposed due to poor visibility. Poloncarz said an Erie County Department of Public Works plow truck went off the road on Route 20 in the Evans and Hamburg areas. This driver was not injured.

Buffalo Mayor Chris Scanlon said he was in constant contact with Hochul and Poloncarz about the severe lake-effect snowstorm and said Buffalo City Hall would remain closed Thursday because of the wintry weather conditions.

Exclusive FOX Weather Storm Tracker Corey Gerken was in Hamburg on Thursday morning and said traveling in the area had become a “complete nightmare.”

Gerken said it was the heaviest snowfall he had seen in the area in a long time

“Everyone gets stuck on the roads,” he said. “It’s a complete nightmare out here.”

Traveling in these conditions is bad enough, but the intensity of the snowfall makes it even more treacherous.

“It snows so hard out here that you can’t actually tell where the road is,” he said. “Typically every time I’ve covered snow here, they’ve done a pretty good job of keeping up with the roads. So this is actually the first time I’ve seen them so bad here in Hamburg.”

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Travel impacts were also reported in parts of Pennsylvania, including some commercial travel bans on I-86 between I-90 and the New York state line, and along the entire length of I-90 from the Ohio state line to the New York state line State Line York state line.

Speed ​​limits also apply on portions of Interstates 80 and 81.

videos recorded by the EriePennsylvania, area show the heavy snow that began falling Wednesday evening.

FOX weather correspondent Brandy Campbell was in Erie and shared a time-lapse video showing streaks of lake-effect snow impacting the region.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said his state was also preparing for the storm’s impact. In a post on

“They will be ready to help clear the roads and make sure people get where they need to go,” he said. “Stay safe out there.”

There will be more snow

The National Weather Service office in buffalo The heavy lake snowfall would bring several feet of snow east of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario by Friday morning, and strong winds could lead to near whiteout conditions.

The, Meteorologists warnedwould have “significant impacts on travel and society where the heaviest snowfall is expected.”

The FOX Forecast Center called for cold air Canada The snow is expected to move across the still-warm Great Lakes, contributing to more snowfall in communities on the lakes’ eastern and southern shores through Friday.

The combination of gusty Winds And Blowing snow is expected to be too closeBlizzard Conditions, especially on Thursday when winds peak at 25-45 mph.