Deadly western New York snowstorm to get second wind Heavy dump: Homes covered in snow in West Seneca, New York. Photo: AP/The Buffalo News New York: Western New York state braced for a fresh wave of heavy snow after a freakish storm swept off the Great Lakes and deposited as much as 1.5 metres, killing at least seven people and stranding motorists overnight. The new bout of snow could bring 1 metre of snow in parts of Erie County, which includes the city of Buffalo. The powerful snowstorm created snowdrifts as high as houses, trapping people in their homes and forcing hundreds of motorists to abandon their cars on roadways that were quickly buried in the blizzard-like conditions. Buried homes: The powerful snowstorm created snowdrifts as high as houses. Photo: AP?The Buffalo News New York Governor Andrew Cuomo had declared a state of emergency for 10 counties, deploying National Guard troops to help residents. The snow fell so fast that it quickly packed into a solid mass, making ploughing impossible in many places. The only option is to use heavy machinery to pick up snow and haul it away, he said. Even in an area used to dealing with brutal winter storms, officials in and around Buffalo said they were struggling with the fallout of the storm while girding for another blast of winter weather. Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said that clearing roads south of the city had been "slow going" and that "there is a long way to go" before the situation was under control. In a reflection of how fast the storm swept over the region, players from the Niagara University women's basketball team became stuck on the team bus and were forced to wait more than 24 hours until state troopers could rescue them. They joined hundreds of others who became stranded and had to abandon their vehicles.