Central New York will be trapped in blizzard-like conditions over the next few days.

The National Weather Service updated its Lake Effect Snow Warning for Oneida, Onondaga, Madison, and other surrounding counties.

The service says winds will now exceed 45 miles per hour until Sunday, January 5. These powerful gusts will create whiteout conditions and incredibly high snow drifts that could be "several feet deep."

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This also means driving will become increasingly hazardous. The whipping winds could cause visibility to drop to 0, with the NWS warning the morning and evening commutes could be dangerous.

Drivers are urged to slow down, increase their follow distance, and start breaking well before stop signs and stop lights.

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The NWS is encouraging motorists to stay off the road unless it's for necessary travel.

While low visibility and slick conditions are a threat, the service also says the heavy snow and strong winds will be enough to snap tree branches. It is also possible that trees and power lines could also be impacted by the extreme weather.

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That being said, residents should prepare for potential power outages.

WIBX had reached out to National Grid about preparedness and safety tips for customers.

Cold weather will also bring an additional challenge to the area, with a potential polar vortex seeping into the area starting early next week. This could bring another blast of stormy and freezing weather.

The NWS says the mercury will fail to get above 30 degrees on Friday, January 3, and temperatures will continue to sink until the middle of next week.

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For the Utica area, the coldest day will be Monday and Wednesday, with both days forecasted to reach a high of 20 degrees.

Overnight lows will be in the low teens and even single digits.

Conditions will be even colder in North County, who will fall out of the 20s by Saturday and hover in the mid teens through Wednesday. Overnight lows can get down to as low as 5 by Monday.

How Much Snow Will CNY Get This Week?

The worst snowfall is expected to start tonight, January 3, through Saturday. Weather watchers say there may be periods of snow falling at a rate of up to 3 inches per hour.

Snowfall totals are remaining the same, with Central New York expecting up to 3 feet of snow by the weekend.

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The worst hit areas remain Lewis, Cayuga, and Oswego County. The NWS says the areas could see between 2 to 3 feet of snow.

Oneida, Herkimer, Madison, Hamilton, and Onondaga County should expect between 1 to 3 feet of snow, with the worst of it falling in the higher elevations like Boonville and Tug Hill.

Herkimer and Hamilton County will exit their Lake Effect Snow Warning advisory earlier than the remainder of Central New York. The alert expires at 4pm Saturday, January 4.

It appears the maximum snowfall for this region is about 14 inches, per the NWS' latest forecast, while the minimum will be around 7 inches.

Keep watching for updates about weather conditions and forecasts by downloading the station mobile app.

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