Friday night was a messy drive for people on the roads. The snow was falling steadily, making travel difficult. Driving in snowy weather at night has its challenges. Our Iris St. Meran has some safety tips.

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Secondary roads aren't plowed as well as some of the primary ones, and it’s causing some cars to fishtail and slip on the roads. Shannon Trice is captain of the traffic division for the Syracuse Police Department. He says when it comes to driving at night, the same rules apply as driving in the day.

It doesn't matter where you were driving Friday evening, the conditions across the region were the same for people trying to navigate their way through it.

"The roads don't look too well, it's definitely some serious conditions out here right now," said CJ Cervantes, a Syracuse resident.

Snow is normal for this area at this time of year. Friday's snow was not the fluffy lake effect snow we're used to. Instead, it was wetter and much heavier as it came down and covered side roads and major highways.

Driving in it at night can be more challenging because visibility can be even more limited. Police say you shouldn't use your high beams, but same rules apply otherwise.

Drivers took heed to warnings.

"I just say give yourself plenty of time, take it slow, give yourself an extra ten minutes and especially time to brush off your car," said David Solazzo, a Syracuse resident.

People were urged to stay off the roads, if they didn't need to be out. But there were still many who braved the elements and were out and about.

"Driving over here, we were going down a little hill, it was hard to brake a little bit, coming around the turns over there, we were slipping around," said Cervantes.

He and some friends were out getting a bite to eat, but has some advice for others after that experience.

"I would definitely say stay off the roads and if you're going to go out don't."

Staying indoors also gives plows the space to get the roads under control.