The City of Oswego declared a state of emergency Thursday morning as relentless lake effect snowfall continues to batter the regionCity offices are closed, and officials have requested county and state assistance with road-clearing operations. The emergency declaration took effect at 9 a.m. Thursday and will remain in place until officially rescinded by city officials. The declaration comes as poor visibility and significant snow accumulation threaten to strain local emergency resources. Oswego has received more than 2 feet of snow since Sunday, and forecasters predict an additional 1 to 2 feet across Oswego County through Thursday evening, with the heaviest amounts expected near the Lake Ontario shoreline. Western parts of Oswego County are seeing snowfall rates of up to 3 inches per hour near the shoreline.