The first significant lake-effect snow event is now underway across the Great Lakes and Northeast Interior, and AccuWeather meteorologists continue to warn of several feet of snow remaining in the forecast.

During early next week, the frigid airflow over the warm surfaces of the Great Lakes will produce additional bands of snow along the southern and eastern coastlines, creating treacherous travel conditions across the region.

From Friday through Saturday morning, snowfall reports spanning from northeastern Ohio, northwestern Pennsylvania to far southwestern New York have ranged from 12-24 inches to even approaching 3 feet in EriePennsylvania and CassadagaNew York. Numerous road closures continue across portions of I-90 and I-86 in northwestern Pennsylvania.

“As snow flurries continue to affect portions of I-90 in northeastern Ohio, northwestern Pennsylvania and far southwestern New York over the weekend and into early next week, additional restrictions may occur,” noted AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex Duffus.

As holiday shoppers hit the roads in high volume this weekend, travelers in locations across the Great Lakes are urged to monitor the AccuWeather forecast and be weather aware for rapidly changing conditions.

If motorists become stranded along the I-90 or I-81 corridors, they can quickly find themselves in a life-threatening situation. Cold conditions and gusty winds can increase the risk of hypothermia, while times of rapidly reduced visibility in snow flurries can increase the risk of multiple vehicle entrapment.

The coldest air of the season so far will continue to plunge south across the Midwest, Ohio Valley and Northeast into the first week of December. High temperatures are expected to range from the teens across North Dakota and northern Minnesota to the 30s Fahrenheit across southern Illinois, Kentucky to parts of West Virginia on Sunday.

Along with the chilly conditions, gusty winds will continue to blow across the region. Some locations across the Inland Northeast could see wind gusts up to 20-30 miles per hour over the weekend.

However, forecasters note that the gusts may ease slightly during the first few days of the new work week. Winds on Monday and Tuesday could range anywhere from 5-15 mph lower than this weekend, a noticeable difference in sub-zero areas.

Amid the bouts of snow expected over the weekend, the matchup between Buffalo and San Francisco is still scheduled to start late Sunday at 1 p.m. 8:20 p.m. ET, at Highmark Stadium i Orchard ParkNew York, just 10 miles southeast of downtown Buffalo. As previous years have shown, it would take more than a blizzard to scare the local fans, whether that means they have to kick out the stadium themselves to be able to attend.

DOWNLOAD THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP

Do you have the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts with Premium+

Forecasters say that ahead of Sunday night’s game, a notable snowfall is expected to affect locations from Erie County, Pennsylvania, into southwestern New York counties of Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Erie, complicating travel plans for fans trying to get to the game. .

“A significant band of lake-effect snow will be oriented southwest to northeast, parallel to the orientation of Lake Erie, hugging the southern shoreline from Saturday afternoon through at least Sunday morning. This will result in a period of sustained and heavy snowfall just a matter of miles south of downtown Buffalo and just above the Southtowns, including Orchard Park, where lake effects can produce velocities of 2-4 inches per hour at times.” detailed AccuWeather Meteorologist Grady Gilman.

Gilman added that by the time the sun rises Sunday morning, a foot or more of snow is expected to have fallen at Highmark Stadium. However, the snowfall gradient will be tight across this corridor with only 1-3 inches of snow expected in the center Buffalo.

The pattern blowing off Lake Erie will change slightly throughout the day on Sunday, but even a minor change will be felt for the Buffalo area.

“Winds will shift subtly to blow more from the west by Sunday afternoon. Although only a few degrees on the compass, this relatively minor change in wind direction could be just enough to move the heaviest and most persistent band of lake-effect snow to just south about Orchard Park during game time, but snow showers are still expected during the actual game and could bring additional accumulations and even a period of significantly reduced visibility, Gilman warned.

While the heaviest snow is expected to occur just south of downtown Buffalo before 8 p.m. Sunday, the risk of falling snow remains during the game with the possibility of several inches of additional accumulations.

“Regardless of the exact position and orientation of the lake-effect snow band, travel to and from the stadium can be extremely difficult and dangerous, if not impossible, especially along I-90,” Gilman noted.

By Monday, the brisk and snowy pattern will persist across the eastern and southern shores of Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Snow showers, sometimes heavy, will continue to be the theme across the region and add to the running totals.

High temperatures on Monday will remain in the teens across the Dakotas and northern Minnesota with widespread 30s F from Missouri to northern New England. By Tuesday, widespread 20s and 30s F will be much more common across the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and New England.

The pattern of lake-effect snow showers will persist through Tuesday, forecasters say. However, a separate storm is expected to dive south from Canada and affect parts of the Midwest, Great Lakes and Northeast from Tuesday into Thursday and bring another wave of snow.

Want next-level security, without ads? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on The AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts asked by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.