A winter storm watch has been issued for parts of western New York ahead of the weekend.

Covered under the watch are Genesee Erie, Wyoming, Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties. The watch is in effect from Saturday afternoon through Monday morning, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.

Lake effect snow expected to heavy

Heavy lake effect snow is possible in the affected areas, with 7 or more inches of snow possible in some areas, according to the Weather Service. Significant blowing and drifting snow is also possible, which could create treacherous roads conditions, forecasters said.

Wind gusts could reach 65 mph. The strongest winds will occur Saturday, which could cause tree damage and power outages, the Weather Service said.

Travel could be very difficult to impossible during the weekend, the Weather Service warns.

High wind watch issued for Rochester NY

In addition to the winter storm advisories, the Weather Service earlier in the day issued a high wind watch for parts of western and central New York, including Rochester for part of the weekend.

The high wind watch for the Rochester region runs from 7 p.m. Friday through 4 a.m. Sunday and covers Monroe, Genesee, Orleans, Niagara and northern Erie counties. A high wind watch was also issued for the same timeframe covering Livingston, Ontario, Wayne, Wyoming counties, as well as Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and southern Erie Counties.

Southeast winds that are part of a larger system moving into the area are expected to bring gusts up to 60 mph and sustained winds between 20 and 30 mph Friday night, followed by strong wind from the southwest with gusts up to 65 mph and sustained winds between 30 and 40 mph on Saturday, according to the Weather Service.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Rochester NY Weather: Winter storm watch issued for region