Police urged drivers to stay off city streets as Duluth got hit hard with wind-whipped snow Thursday afternoon, the Duluth News Tribune reported.

The Twin Ports of Duluth and Superior, Wis., were expected to get about 4 to 8 inches of snowfall, Northlands Newscenter reported.

As of 1 p.m., heavy snow with accumulations of 1 to 2 inches an hour was reported in the Twin Ports, where winds were gusting more than 40 mph. The News Tribune has eye-opening video of massive waves crashing on the shore in Canal Park and along the city's massive docks.

Areas to the south and west of the Twin Ports reported 3-4 inches on the ground – and more than 20 accidents on the streets – after just two hours of snowfall, the newspaper reported.

Northlands Newscenter reported whiteout conditions in Duluth. The station has photos of the snowfall.

Earlier in the day, more than 2,000 customers in Duluth were without power as the high winds whipped in off the lake, WDIO reported. The College of St. Scholastica was among businesses briefly without power. The school canceled 8 a.m. classes.