Winter weather advisories or winter storm warnings were in place for seven states early Tuesday morning, with the National Weather Service forecasting up to 12 inches of snow for some parts of the country. Winter storms can cause power outages, while snow can interfere with travel and create dangerous driving conditions.

A winter weather advisory from the Weather Service at the same time predicts 3 to 7 inches of snow in Monroe, Ontario, Livingston, Genesee, Orleans, Erie and Niagara counties, 4 to 8 inches of snow in Wayne and Cayuga counties and 5 to 9 inches of snow in Wyoming, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and southern Erie counties.

The cold air will be somewhat limited, but enough arctic air will wrap around the system that a snowstorm could break out in parts of Arizona, New Mexico and portions of the Plains.