The winter storm was expected to pummel a large portion of New York State, with heavy snow moving along the Great Lakes into Tuesday morning, Dave Samuhel, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather, said.

Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse could all get a foot or more of snow, with the hardest-hit areas in the region getting up to 18 inches, Mr. Samuhel said.

New York City might not get any snow, but the forecast called for freezing rain that could cause hazardous road conditions. As temperatures warm up overnight, the rain is expected to get heavier.

“It’s a quick moving but high impact storm because of the heavy nature of the precipitation,” Mr. Samuhel said.

In response to the storm, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo directed state agencies on Monday afternoon to make emergency snow and ice preparations. State officials warned that travel conditions could become “extremely difficult at times.”

“This massive weather system is making its way across the country and ready to deliver a one-two punch of snow, ice and heavy winds across the entire state for the next two days,” Mr. Cuomo said in a statement. Adding that conditions could become “extremely dangerous,” Mr. Cuomo advised New Yorkers to “avoid all unnecessary travel.”

State officials said they were prepared to deploy emergency resources including pumps, chain saws, sandbags, generators, cots, blankets and bottled water if conditions turn bad enough.

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