A potentially dangerous storm moves into Buffalo and western New York

Heavy equipment operator Don Beitz walks around a giant snow thrower while preparing for the impending snowstorm that is expected to dump several feet of snow on the area until Friday evening at the New York State Thruway's Walden Garage in Cheektowaga, N.Y. on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022. (Derek Gee/AP)

BUFFALO, N.Y. — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency Thursday for parts of western New York ahead of a dangerous storm that had the potential to dump several feet of snow on some communities on the eastern ends of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

The worst snowfall was expected in Buffalo, where the National Weather Service said up to 4 feet (1.2 meters) might fall in some spots through Sunday, with periods of near-zero visibility. Other areas could get a foot (0.3 meters) or less of the lake-effect snow, which is caused by frigid air picking up copious amounts of moisture from the warmer lakes.