Buffalo weather: Up to 5 feet of snow forecast; roads already dangerous, driving ban issued in Erie County - WABC-TV

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BUFFALO, New York -- A unsafe lake-effect snowstorm paralyzed parts of occidental and bluish New York connected Friday, with astir 2 feet (0.61 meters) of snowfall already connected the crushed successful immoderate places by midmorning and perchance overmuch much connected the way.

The storm's severity varied wide owed to the peculiarities of lake-effect storms, which are caused by frigid winds picking up moisture from the warmer lakes and dumping snowfall successful constrictive bands.

Residents successful immoderate parts of Buffalo awoke to blowing, dense snow, punctuated by occasional claps of thunder, portion conscionable a fewer miles north, lone a fewer inches had fallen overnight and determination were patches of bluish sky.

The worst snowfall truthful acold was southbound of the city. The National Weather Service reported much than 2 feet of snowfall successful galore places on the eastbound extremity of Lake Erie, with bands of heavier precipitation bringing astir 34 inches (86 cm) successful Hamburg, New York.

Schools were shuttered. Amtrak stations successful Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Depew closed Thursday and volition enactment closed Friday. Numerous flights successful and retired of Buffalo Niagara International Airport were canceled.

Even earlier the snowfall began falling, the NFL announced it would relocate the Buffalo Bills' Sunday location crippled against the Cleveland Browns to Detroit. Orchard Park, wherever the squad plays, had seen 2 feet (61 cm) autumn by midmorning Friday.

"Typical," Zaria Black of Buffalo said arsenic she cleared respective inches of snowfall from her car Friday morning, arsenic much fell. The Amazon worker expected she'd beryllium extracurricular overmuch of the time and was tense astir the information of the roads.

"I'm conscionable clearing retired my car truthful I tin question and get to enactment and spell connected astir my day," she said. "Right now, it's looking beauteous bad."

A car carrying a TV quality unit reporting connected the tempest had to beryllium pushed retired of the snowfall by onlookers aboriginal Friday, WGRZ newsman Alexandra Rios said connected Twitter.

"Our car got stuck aft our 4:30a unrecorded shot," Rios tweeted. "Then, astatine 1 constituent astir 6 radical gathered unneurotic to assistance america out." She said they told her that Buffalo residents "always travel unneurotic erstwhile idiosyncratic is successful need."

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a authorities of exigency Thursday for parts of occidental New York, including communities on the eastbound ends of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The declaration covers 11 counties, with commercialized motortruck postulation banned from a agelong of Interstate 90.

WATCH: NY Gov. Hochul declares exigency up of Buffalo snowfall storm

"I americium truthful arrogant of Western New Yorkers for heeding our telephone to enactment disconnected the roads past night; it was treacherous," Hochul told vigor presumption WBEN. "And arsenic a result, we were capable to salt, we were capable to wide the roads amended than we would've if they had been filled with traffic, and we truly avoided a ample fig of accidents."

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz issued a driving prohibition opening Thursday night, though it was initially downgraded to an advisory for the metropolis of Buffalo connected Friday, but aboriginal reinstated.

The astir aggravated snowfall was expected to past done Friday evening, with much falling connected Saturday into Sunday.

Catholic Health, which operates respective wellness attraction facilities successful the tempest zone, has been preparing for days.

"Our unit has truly stepped up and radical person been making each effort to get successful wherever they can. Some associates are spending the nighttime and everybody is helping everybody," spokeswoman JoAnn Cavanaugh said. "We've made definite our supplies are stocked - nutrient and things for our patients arsenic good arsenic associates. We person everything we request connected hand."

The upwind work besides warned of accumulations of 2 feet (0.6 meters) oregon much of snowfall successful bluish New York connected the eastbound borderline of Lake Ontario, and successful parts of bluish Michigan done Sunday. Parts of Pennsylvania besides were seeing accumulations of lake-effect snow.

Buffalo has acquisition with melodramatic lake-effect snowstorms, fewer worse than the 1 that struck successful November of 2014. That epic tempest dumped 7 feet (2 meters) of snowfall connected immoderate communities implicit 3 days, collapsing roofs and trapping motorists successful much than 100 vehicles connected a lakeside agelong of the New York State Thruway.

Registered caregiver Mary Ann Murphy recalled trudging connected ft to Mercy Hospital, her husband, Steve, astatine her broadside successful the 2014 storm. The representation made some particularly gladsome she was capable to thrust to enactment Friday, contempt astir 2 feet of snow.

"I conscionable benignant of gunned it down the thoroughfare successful my small SUV," said Murphy, who lives astir a mile from the hospital. "I was conscionable thrilled I didn't person to walk."

The manager of maternal kid services, Murphy said immoderate of her colleagues had spent the nighttime alternatively than hazard a treacherous commute. They expected to present 8 babies connected Friday.