It's definitely time to dust off the snowmobiles--Western New York is staring down a monster lake effect snowstorm that will bury parts of the area, almost entirely south of the city of Buffalo itself.

According to the National Weather Service, a winter storm warning is in effect in Wyoming, Chautaqua, Cattaraugus, and Southern Erie counties until 6PM on Thursday.

Per the report, those areas can expect heavy lake effect snow, ranging from 9-18 inches in most places, with more in higher-elevation areas. Wind gusts will also approach 40 miles per hour in some places, meaning there will be plenty of blowing snow. Visibility will be difficult, so avoid the roads wherever possible.

The city itself will be spared for the most part, but we can probably expect to see a few inches accumulate as the storm passes through.

We didn't get many opportunities to bust out the sleds last year, but this certainly looks like it'll be enough to get the job done and get those trails open.

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