A state of emergency is in effect for all of Erie County starting at 7 a.m. Friday.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz says people should stay home and not travel if it’s not necessary. 

Poloncarz is even calling on private businesses to close.

There is not a driving ban enforced yet in Erie County, but that could change once the area sees the whiteout conditions our team of meteorologists have been forecasting.

If driving conditions do become impossible, Poloncarz says he'll have to take plows off the road.

"When the National Weather Service says this is an extreme event, a once-in-a-generation, and we've seen some doozies of storms in the last 10 years, that should scare everyone: that this is going to be ground zero for this bomb that is hitting the upper plains and Great Lakes,” said Poloncarz.

"Now is the time to ensure you have everything you need for Friday, Saturday, through Sunday too. Because if there are power outages, this could be a multiple-day event that goes through Christmas. So now is the time to ensure you have your batteries. Your candles. Your food. Your medicine."

Poloncarz is also reminding everyone to not use generators indoors. They must be at least 20 feet away from your home because of the threat of carbon monoxide.