A wall of lake effect snow rolled over southern Buffalo, New York, on Tuesday, and forecasters said the area could see a record-breaking 90 inches of snowfall.
By night, some areas had seen 5 feet of snow, and more was expected to fall.
60 inches of snow 1 mi SE of Lancaster. Should note that 6 mi NW of that spot at #Buffalo airport we've only seen 3.9 inches. #BUFwx
According to Don Paul, some areas will likely hit 90 inches of snow tomorrow. Don't miss his forecast here: http://t.co/qmq22R9zKY
The snow left cars stuck and closed roads, including more than 100 miles of the New York State Thruway.
Among the stranded was the Niagra University women's basketball team, who as of 9:40 p.m. ET had been stuck for more than 20 hours.
#NUWBBstrandedonbus
The team had been in the bus for four hours before getting completely snowed in.
We have been praying each hour. It has now been 24 hours. Keep us in your prayers #NUWBBstrandedonbus
Firefighters responded to stuck drivers, and state troopers delivered blankets and other supplies to those on the thruway.
Four people died due to the storm, officials said. One death was due to a car crash, and three other people went into cardiac arrest after shoveling snow, CNN reported.
A baby was safely delivered at a fire station after an ambulance couldn't get to a hospital, CNN reported.
#Buffalo Fire Chief: the woman in labor taken to fire station did give birth to a baby girl http://t.co/jDNzCT2rzt #TWCNewsSnow
Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency and asked residents to stay off roads. More than 9,000 people lost power, and the state activated 526 snow plows.
State of Emergency declared in Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Franklin, Genesee, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Oswego and Wyoming Counties.
Well the fun continues! Drifts over 6 ft tall! #CanIBorrowASnowmobile @KaelaCarpenter
Cars were abandoned, including trucks and an ambulance.
Ambulance parked & abandoned on Clinton St in south Buffalo. All roads around them are filled w/ several ft of snow.
I just saw several men stealing chips from inside this abandoned Doritos truck. #BuffaloSnow #nywx
By nightfall, the snow was still coming down in some areas.
By 10 p.m. ET, 2,500 tons of snow had been removed from Buffalo streets.
#Buffalo mayor thanks people who have obeyed driving ban - 2500 tons of snow have been removed so far http://t.co/jDNzCT2rzt #TWCNewsSnow
The wintry weather came as most of the U.S. faced colder than normal temperatures. At least one part of each state saw freezing weather Tuesday.
Satellite View of the U.S. Wrapped in a Frozen Blanket: http://t.co/HiU2jODCCR