Snow squall warnings in effect in Northeast: May bring whiteout conditions as drivers head home

Snow squalls warnings are in effect as blowing snow barrels through the Northeast Wednesday afternoon.

Snow squalls can create very dangerous travel conditions because the blowing snow, strong winds and whiteout conditions cause low visibility.

Even the Empire State Building temporarily vanished when a snow squall enveloped New York City,

Drivers should be prepared for bursts of heavy snow and poor visibility across central Pennsylvania and into northern New Jersey, New York City and Connecticut.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in a statement urged "New Yorkers to slow down, use extra caution, and if at all possible stay off the roads."

"If you do have to drive, be sure to move over when you see a plow or state vehicle clearing the roads," Cuomo said.

Lake effect snow warnings are also in effect from Erie, Pennsylvania, to Watertown, New York, where residents could see 6 to 10 inches of snow and whiteout conditions. Snowfall rates could even reach 3 to 4 inches per hour.

Then temperatures in the region will plummet.

By Thursday morning the wind chill will plunge to minus 12 degrees in Burlington, minus 10 degrees in Scranton, minus 3 degrees in Boston, 0 degrees in New York and 10 degrees in Washington, D.C.

But a major warm-up is coming the week of Christmas across most of the country.

Santa might have to use wheels for his sleigh instead of runners!