NORTHERN, NY - The National Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings for northern NY from Oneida County to Essex County.

Authorities are advising no unncessary travel in St. Lawrence, Franklin, and Essex Counties. 

Schools were closed across the region as the storm began its path through the area.

Accumulation of 3-5 inches has already been reported in many areas of St. Lawrence County and the weather service is advising that Jefferson and Oneida Counties can expect mixed precipitation changing to lake effect snow later today with possibilities of blizzard conditions in the Tug Hill region.

The cold front will continue to push through today and tomorrow and the near-blizzard to blizzard conditions in Carthage and Watertown are expected to get worse, with driving winds and expected accumulation by Friday of up to 3 feet of snow.

In St. Lawrence County, motorists are cautioned that snowfall rates of up to 1 inch per hour coupled with the possibility of windspeeds up to 50 mph will cause white-out conditions in many areas, particularly in Northern St. Lawrence County and Franklin County.