More than 4 million people across five states were under winter storm alerts on Sunday as heavy lake-effect snow continued to bury the Great Lakes region, prompting emergency declarations and the deployment of National Guard troops to rescue stranded motorists.

A powerful, sharply defined band of lake-effect snow buried some towns on the Upper Peninsula while other towns, just tens of miles away, saw little to no snow. The Buffalo Bills are slated to face off in Orchard Park amid ongoing,

Warnings for heavy snow continue until 7 p.m. Tuesday along the shores of Lake Erie.

Lake-effect snow blowing in from the Great Lakes has blanketed parts of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York, stranding hundreds of vehicles on roads and snarling post-Thanksgiving travel. Well over two feet of snow had fallen in many parts of the region by early Monday,

Heavy snowfall will continue to bury portions of the Northeast and upper Midwest this week as officials warn of travel impacts and dangerous conditions. The Great Lakes region, which has been receiving lake effect snow since late last week,

Heavy snow slammed the Great Lakes region during Thanksgiving weekend, clogging communities with several feet of snow.