Winter is here! Snow snarls holiday plans and is expected to impact the U.S. until next week

Snow is making its impact felt across the U.S. and forecasters say winter conditions will continue into next week for parts of the country - (AP)

The first big snow of the season threatened to bury towns in New York along lakes Erie and Ontario during a hectic holiday travel and shopping weekend, while winter storm conditions could persist into next week and cause hazards in the Great Lakes, Plains and Midwest regions.

An Arctic outbreak of cold air will expand south and east and bring "dangerously cold wind chills" into the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest, the National Weather Service said Saturday, while heavy lake-effect snow could make travel "very difficult to impossible" into next week.