Photo: Joshua Bessex/AP/Shutterstock

Person crosses Ellicott Street as snow falls, in Buffalo, N.Y. A dangerous lake-effect snowstorm paralyzed parts of western and northern New York, with nearly 2 feet of snow already on the ground in some places and possibly much more on the way

A massive snowstorm is tearing across the Great Lakes region — and could result in “potentially historic snowfall” for parts of New York.

“Periods ofheavy lake-effect snow” are expected to impact the region through Sunday, with snowfall rates reaching three inches per hour east of Lakes Erie and Ontario, according to the National Weather Service.

Snow totals are expected to range from one to three feet in most areas, the NWS said. However, the one band could dropas much as five feet of snowin areas from South Buffalo to Lancaster, N.Y., as it sits atop the region on Friday, according toThe Buffalo News.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announceda state of emergencyfor 11 counties near Lake Erie and Lake Ontario ahead of the storm.

“This isa life-threatening storm,” Hochul said at a news conference, per NBC News.

Joshua Bessex/AP/Shutterstock

Cars drive along Ellicott Street as snow falls, in Buffalo, N.Y. A dangerous lake-effect snowstorm paralyzed parts of western and northern New York, with nearly 2 feet of snow already on the ground in some places and possibly much more on the way

Snow began to fall in many areas later Thursday evening, and intensified through early Friday. The most intense snowfall is expected on Friday, according to the NWS.

Some areas — including Genesee, Jefferson and Northern Erie counties — are under a lake-effect snow warningthrough 1 a.m. on Sunday, the NWS said. In Niagara and Southwestern St. Lawrence counties, the warning will remain in effect through 7 a.m. on Sunday.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The NWS warned that travel would be “very difficult to impossible” in many areas, with “hazardous conditions” impacting the region through Friday evening’s commute.

Person walks through downtown in the snow, in Buffalo, N.Y. A dangerous lake-effect snowstorm paralyzed parts of western and northern New York, with nearly 2 feet of snow already on the ground in some places and possibly much more on the way

As of Friday morning, numerous locations throughout Erie County have already recordedat least two feet of snow, NWS reported. Some locations, like Orchard Park and Hamburg, have recorded nearly three feet.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz confirmed on Twitter that Hamburg District plow drivers reported"up to 30 [inches] of snow"in parts of Hamburg and Orchard Park, as well as Lackawanna.

Power outages have been reported throughout Erie County, “includinga significant power outageaffecting the Town and Village of Orchard Park,” Poloncarz said on Twitter.

As of midday Friday, there are nearly 7,300 customerswithout powerin New York and 1,300 in Michigan, according to PowerOutage.us.

Zaria Black, 24, from Buffalo, clears off her car as snow falls, in Buffalo, N.Y. A dangerous lake-effect snowstorm paralyzed parts of western and northern New York, with nearly 2 feet of snow already on the ground in some places and possibly much more on the way

About6 million peoplewere under snow alerts on Friday, according to CNN.

So far, no deaths have been reported in connection to the storm.

source: people.com