A travel ban is in effect tonight for commercial trucks in Erie County and on Interstate 90 from exit 46 to Rochester to the Pennsylvania state line.
The travel ban starts at 9 p.m. and comes as Gov. Kathy Hochul has declared a state of emergency in Western New York for a storm expected to bring “blizzard-like conditions” Saturday.
READ MORE: Get our updated forecast for Sunday, which includes snow squalls across much of Upstate
State transportation officials said whiteout conditions will reduce visibility on roads to near zero.
One to 3 feet of snow could fall in the most intense lake effect snow bands, and winds could reach 65 mph as northwest winds whip off the lakes Saturday through Monday, the National Weather Service said. Widespread power outages are also possible.
The state of emergency applies to Allegany, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Ontario, Orleans, Oswego and Wyoming counties.
Staff writer Fernando Alba covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, story idea, question or comment? Reach him at falba@syracuse.com