The first big snow of the season has the potential to bury towns in New York along lakes Erie and Ontario during a hectic holiday travel and shopping weekend.

After an unusually mild fall, as much as 2 to 3 feet (0.6 to 0.9 meters) of snow were possible along Lake Erie and south of Buffalo from lake-effect bands notorious for pummeling

The National Weather Service has issued lake effect snow warnings for several counties in upstate New York, predicting significant snowfall through the weekend. Be ready for rapidly changing weather and road conditions. Avoid non-essential travel.

Thanksgiving travelers in three states are warned to stay off the roads tonight and tomorrow, as several feet of snowfall is expected.

LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNINGS ARE UP FOR GENESEE AND WYOMING COUNTIES THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS HEAVY SNOW FALLS EAST OF LAKE ERIE. Snowfall rates 2-3″ per hour within LES bands will meander south of Buffalo and across the Tug Hill throughout Saturday and Sunday.