(CNN) — Las heavy snow Thursday that battered parts of western New York state will persist through Friday, when the worst of the potentially historic storm may result in downed trees and property damage.
“The snowfall will produce near-zero visibility, difficult or impossible travel, damage to infrastructure, and will paralyze the hardest-hit communities,” the National Weather Service said Thursday. “Very cold air will accompany this event, with temperatures 20 degrees below normal forecast for the weekend.”
Areas east of Lakes Erie and Ontario can see snowfall at rates of more than 3 inches per hour and will occasionally be joined by lightning and gusts of wind, the weather service warned.
Firefighters in Snyder, New York, after responding to a car crash on I-290 on Thursday.
“That level of snow falling at that intensity is what creates the dangerousness of the lack of vision on the roads,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Thursday as she declared a state of emergency for 11 counties.
“When it drops at that rate, it’s almost impossible to clear the way for it to be safe to travel,” Hochul said. “It will not be safe for a considerable amount of time for motorists to return to the roads.”
Commercial traffic has been prohibited since Thursday afternoon for about 130 miles (210 kilometers) of New York State Highway (Interstate 90) in the Rochester and Buffalo area to the Pennsylvania border, Hochul’s office said. Additionally, other portions of major interstate highways have also been closed, including the 90, 290, and 990.
Imploring residents to be careful this weekend, Hochul described the storm as a “major, major” snowfall that could be just as dangerous as the November 2014 blizzard that killed 20 people in the region of Buffalo.
In addition, officials in New York’s Erie County, which includes Buffalo, have also declared a state of emergency and a driving ban effective Thursday night.
“Lake effect snow (from the storm) is very heavy and can cause tree limbs to fall and damage vehicles, property or power lines. Watch where you park and be aware of your surroundings if you go out,” Erie County officials wrote online.
The heaviest snow from the storm is expected to hit the Buffalo, New York area, where more than 4 feet (120 centimeters) could accumulate, marking a historic forecast not seen in more than 20 years. The city’s highest three-day snowfall is 142.5 centimeters, which occurred in December 2001, according to CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller.
And given the rapid rate of snowfall, Buffalo can see a month’s worth of snow in just a few hours. That could make this month the snowiest November since 2000, when a total of 115.8 centimeters fell in the city for the entire month, Miller added.
Residents of Williamstown in Oswego County near Lake Ontario have already seen 24 inches of snow as of Thursday night, according to the weather service.
In neighboring Oneida County, some areas were covered with 14 inches of snow in the past 24 hours as of Thursday night, according to the weather service.
What to expect this weekend
Friday alone could bring more than 2 feet (60 centimeters) of snow, making it one of the three snowiest days on record for Buffalo, according to Miller.
“Heavy lake-effect snow off Lake Erie with snowfall rates of 2-3” per hour will continue to result in extremely difficult travel tonight for the Buffalo metropolitan area east of Batavia, as well as Oswego County across from Lake Ontario,” the National Weather Service said in Buffalo late Thursday.
Lake-effect snow occurs when very cold, windy conditions form over a relatively warm lake, meaning the lake can be 40 degrees while the air is zero, Miller explained. The temperature shock creates instability, allowing the most extreme winter weather to occur.
Due to the weather emergency, Sunday’s NFL game in Orchard Park, New York, between the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns has been moved to Detroit, the league announced Thursday.
About 6 million people in five Great Lakes states, from Wisconsin to New York, were under snow alerts Thursday, CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen said. Snow produced through the lake effect will continue through Sunday in downwind areas of the Great Lakes, according to the National Weather Service.
Other areas affected by the storm include parts of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and western Lower Peninsula, where gusty winds and heavy snowfall will also result in near-zero visibility and unsafe travel conditions.
CNN’s Jacob Lev contributed to this report.