Buffalo declares a state of emergency as it braces for up to 4 feet of snow
A historic lake effect snow event will blanket swathes of the country in white into the weekend, with up to five inches of snow possible in in Buffalo, New York.
Snow began falling in Buffalo and other parts of New York state Thursday as the area braced for a major winter storm that could bring as much as 4 feet of snow to the city.
Buffalo declared a state of emergency, and Gov. Kathy Hochul did the same for 11 counties in the western and northwestern part of the state near Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.
“This is a life-threatening storm,” Hochul said at a news conference, adding that state officials were prepared to conduct rescues.
Erie County, home to Buffalo, issued a driving ban.
"Only those authorized for emergency travel are to drive," County Executive Mark Poloncarz tweeted, adding that the ban would be re-evaluated Friday.
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