Crews are parked in preparation for high winds and wintry conditions near Exit 59.

A State of Emergency has been declared in the wake of a significant winter storm that is expected to begin on Friday.

Gov. Kathy Hochul issued the declaration for the entire state of New York in advance of a significant winter weather system forecast to bring a mixed bag of hazards across the state that continues through Monday. Heavy rain and snow, strong winds, coastal and lakeshore flooding and flash freezing are all possible in various regions across the state throughout the holiday weekend. In addition, lake effect snow is expected to impact areas along Lakes Erie and Ontario beginning Friday night and continuing into Monday with total snow accumulations forecast to reach up to three feet.

“With Mother Nature throwing everything she has at us this weekend, I encourage New Yorkers who are considering travelling for the holidays to do so before Friday or after Sunday to stay safe,” Hochul said. “Our agencies are well prepared, coordinated and ready to deploy assets and equipment if needed to respond to the storm. We want all New Yorkers to get where they need to go safely to celebrate the holidays with loved ones.”

Alerts were in place for Silver Creek and Sunset Bay beginning Thursday night. Due to the threat of severe weather and flooding, it was strongly recommended that residents of Sunset Bay and those in Silver Creek near Lake Erie evacuate prior to Friday afternoon. “It should also be known that there is potential that an emergency declaration and mandatory evacuation order may be enacted,” the alert said. “In either case, you should prepare to evacuate. If this flood occurs — being called historic — it will prevent emergency services from reaching your home.”

Starting Friday and continuing into Saturday morning, much of the state is expected to see strong winds up to 60 miles per hour or more as temperatures will drop quickly and significantly, by more than 35 degrees in some regions, causing flash freezing, below zero wind chills and icy road conditions. This will impact the Friday morning commute in Western New York and the evening commute for the rest of the state. Winds on Friday and Saturday will be strong enough to cause downed trees and power lines.

Friday night and continuing through Monday, lake effect snow will impact areas off Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, and strong winds are expected to cause blowing and drifting snow with near zero visibility and localized blizzard conditions. The Buffalo and Watertown areas could see up to three feet of snow through Sunday night. Below normal, freezing temperatures with low wind chills are expected to persist through Monday for upstate regions.

Blizzard Warnings, Coastal Flood Warnings, Lakeshore Flood Warnings, High Wind Warnings, Wind Chill Warnings, and Winter Storm Warnings are all in effect this weekend throughout various counties across the state. For a complete list of weather watches, warnings, and advisories across New York, visit the National Weather Service website.

The State Department of Transportation is preparing to close the following roads in Erie County to all traffic starting at 6 a.m. Friday until conditions improve. Those include: State Route 400, State Route 219, I-290, I-190 and State Route 5 (Big Tree Road to I-190)

Thruway Authority personnel are staffed around the clock and ready to respond to the storm with 678 operators and supervisors statewide. Thruway has shifted and deployed additional staff and equipment from its New York and Albany Divisions to support snow and ice operations in the potentially hardest hit areas in Western New York. Deployed resources include operators and supervisors, and large plow trucks.

Beginning at 6 a.m. Friday, all commercial vehicles will be banned on the New York State Thruway (I-90) from exit 46 (Rochester I-390) to the Pennsylvania border, and the Niagara Thruway from I-90 to exit 22 (Route 62).

For more safety tips, visit the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Safety Tips web page at www.dhses.ny.gov/safety.