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east coast snowstorm 2016

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Eastern states have received more than two feet of snow fall in a huge blizzard that is sweeping across the region.

Heavy snow began falling on January 22 across more than 20 states, affecting some 85 million people.

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio said the storm could be one of the worst to ever hit the city. He is considering a travel ban.

At least nine people have died and emergencies declared in 10 states.

Tens of thousands of homes are without power and traffic jams lasting at least 12 hours have been reported in Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

Washington DC could lie under a record 30in of snow by the time the storm passes on January 23. At the White House, 13in of snow fell overnight.Snowstorm 2016

The heaviest snowfall recorded so far (up to 09:00 eastern time) include:

  • 28in – Terra Alta, West Virginia
  • 24in – Philippi, West Virginia; Oakland, Maryland
  • 23in – Ridgeley, Maryland; Champion and Marklesburg, Pennsylvania

The weather system affects a huge swathe of the country, from Alabama in the south to Massachusetts in the north-east.

Bill de Blasio said New York City was now expecting up to two feet of snow, which would make it one of the five largest storms ever to hit the city.

In a press conference, he urged citizens to get off the road.

His office tweeted: “This is bad and getting worse rapidly.”

In Kentucky, a 35-mile traffic jam has started to clear in the past few hours, after thousands of drivers found themselves stranded on I-75 overnight by heavy snow and a number of accidents.

The Red Cross erected shelters along the highway and Kentucky State Police tweeted that officers were taking water, fuel and snacks to the motorists, some of whom had been stuck for more than 12 hours.

Further north, on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, a number of other vehicles have been stuck in snow for at least 12 hours after the road closed. One university basketball team that was stranded said they were running out of leftover pizza and getting hungry.

The US federal government closed down at noon on January 22 while President Barack Obama remained at the White House.

The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that the worst of the snow would fall in the Washington area from the early hours of Saturday to the early afternoon, with winds of more than 50mph.

In a warning at 02:17, the NWS tweeted that an “intense snow band” was moving through the area.

“Expect rapid accumulations and near-whiteout conditions,” it warned.

The most intense parts of the snowstorm are heading north towards New York state on January 23.

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A huge snowstorm has hit the east coast and is expected to dump near-record levels of snow from Washington to New York.

More than 50 million people have been warned a “potentially paralyzing storm” will drop up to 30ins of snow in hours.

Southern states are already blanketed under 8ins and snow began falling in Washington DC at lunchtime.

Thousands of flights have been cancelled and people told to stay home.

The weather system affects a huge swath of the country, from Arkansas in the south to Massachusetts in the north-east, with eight people killed so far.

A rush for supplies led to long queues and empty shelves at supermarkets on January 22.

Washington is expected to be worst-hit. Mayor Muriel Bowser warned residents of 30ins of snow – that would beat the city’s record of 28in that fell during a two-day period in 1922.Washington snowstorm 2016

“I want to be very clear with everybody, we see this as a major storm. It has life and death implications,” she said.

High winds could compound problems, with 30mph winds forecast for Manhattan on January 23, and even stronger gusts in Washington and Baltimore.

As the weather system approached New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio urged residents to be ready.

“We’re bracing for the first big storm of the winter. I want to let my fellow New Yorkers know we’re prepared, the agencies here are ready for what’s coming up ahead,” he said.

Facing criticism for saying he would be staying on the presidential campaign trail, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie reversed course, tweeting: “I’m sorry, [New Hampshire] but I gotta go home – we got snow coming.”

National Weather Service director Louis Uccellini said the system had “the potential of being an extremely dangerous storm that could affect over 50 million people”.