Buffalo, N.Y. area in the midst of a truly insane lake effect snow storm Up to four feet of snow has accumulated in the south Buffalo area as of Tuesday morning. Nicole Milligan via Instagram An insane lake effect snow band has set up just south of Buffalo, N.Y., the home of some of the most intense lake effect snow in the country. Yes, you're reading this correctly - five to six feet of snow is expected around Buffalo, N.Y., through Thursday. Some locations south of the city have already picked up more than three feet of snow as of Tuesday morning. The band of lake effect snow in question set up in earnest on Monday night after this week's powerful cold front pushed through the eastern U.S. Once the winds over the lake turned from the southwest, it was game, set, match for Buffalo. A southwest wind over Lake Erie - especially this early in the season, when water temperatures are still relatively warm - puts the city into a wintry vice that's difficult to break. "Holy moly," writes this Instagramer in South Buffalo. Celina Velasquez via Instagram On Tuesday the Weather Service office in Buffalo wrote an ominous update to the lake effect snow watch: What's even more amazing about these particularly epic lake effect snow events is that just a couple miles away, there's basically no snow on the ground. The towns of West Seneca and south Cheektowaga are taking the brunt of the storm, where at least three feet of snow has fallen. A mere 10 minute drive to the north in Buffalo itself, there's just a dusting of snow on the ground, and the sun is out. Radar image from Tuesday morning over Buffalo, N.Y. An intense band of lake effect snow has set up over eastern Lake Erie, dumping three to four feet of snow on West Seneca and Cheektowaga as of Tuesday morning. Weather Underground Looking south across the lake from Buffalo, you can see the wall of snow: Travel bans have been implemented across the Buffalo area. Parts of Interstate 90 are closed because of snow accumulation. But the snow still caught some people on the roads early Tuesday morning. "Since midnight, drivers have been stuck near the Lackawanna toll barrier on the Thruway," writes The Buffalo News. The State Police estimate 120 vehicles in the area near exit 55. According to WIVB, states of emergency have been declared in the area: The Village of Lancaster and the Town of West Seneca have declared states of emergency because of hazardous road conditions. Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown spoke to News 4 about the travel ban in South Buffalo. He said, "We do have some vehicles that are stuck. We are asking for no travel in South Buffalo, only emergency vehicles. New York Department of Transportation cameras show cars stuck on Interstate 90 in Lackawanna, N.Y., on Tuesday morning: A N.Y. Department of Transportation webcam shows cars stuck on I-90 near exit 55 in Lackawanna, N.Y. (Weather Underground) According to the Weather Service in Buffalo, the largest snow event on record was 81.6 inches in 2001, accumulated over the course of five days. While snowfall records are not kept for locations other than Buffalo itself, seven feet is still a good indicator of a historic snow event in the region, and south Buffalo will rival that amount by Thursday.