A massive winter storm is sweeping across the Northeast Thursday, bringing with it snow, ice and rain along with hazardous travel conditions and flight cancellations. The National Weather Service said Thursday morning the storm was impacting much of the Great Lakes,

A winter weather advisory is in effect in Massachusetts today as several inches of snow is expected to fall across the state, according to the National Weather Service's Boston office. Snow is already beginning in western Massachusetts as of 8 a.m. Thursday, and it will pick up in the eastern part of the state later this morning.

A fast-moving low-pressure system barreling into Massachusetts on Thursday is expected to bring a mess of wintry conditions, including up to 4 inches of snow, snarling traffic and forcing the closure of numerous schools across the state.