Western New York state has been bombarded with snow this week, with more than 5 feet falling near Buffalo — and an additional 2 feet is expected to fall through tomorrow, according to Bloomberg News. That extra accumulation would bring snowfall totals in the area to over 100 inches — almost a year's worth of snow, says the Associated Press.

The New York State Thruway and parts of Interstate 190 and 290 have been closed down and a partial travel ban has been enacted in the area. At least five people have died so far. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has declared a state of emergency for at least 10 counties along Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

According to Bloomberg, the snow is being caused by lake-effect storms, which are produced when cold air passes over relatively warm waters. The temperature of Lakes Erie and Ontario range from the high 30s to mid-40s (Fahrenheit). In comparison, the temperature in Buffalo as of 11 a.m. today was 21 degrees Fahrenheit.

Many residents of the affected areas are Tweeting out photos of the accumulating snow and damage with the hashtag #LakeEffect.

Click through to see some of the craziest weather pictures tweeted the past few days.

 

Many residents are literally snowed in, and shared pictures that show a wall of snow behind doorways and entrances.

 

Other photos show the destructive power of such a large amount of snow. The snow crashed right through the doors of this home.

This photo shows Interstate 90 at a complete standstill overnight. Many drivers were left stranded in their cars.

The Niagara University women's basketball team took this photo while their bus was snowbound on the New York State Thruway. The team's bus was headed back from a loss in Pittsburgh when it came to a halt at 2 a.m. on Nov. 18. About 25 people were on the bus, including 15 players plus staff, the coach and coach's family.

(AP Photo/Chelsea Andorka)

Wednesday morning, many residents are starting to emerge from their homes to clean up the mess.

 

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