North-eastern US and Canada hit by severe snow storm

Since snow started falling on Long Island, west of New York City, early on Wednesday morning, local roads were quickly blanketed as the snowy onslaught proved more than what many expected.

Becoming heavier on Wednesday evening, on-coming snow waves slowed rush-hour traffic and affected President Barack Obama's motorcade, also prompting school closures and dozens of flight delays in the Washington DC area. Forecasters in Canada's Maritimes provinces are predicting up to 30cm of snow.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg declared a state of emergency on Wednesday, urging New Yorkers to stay off the roads and suspending parking regulations and rubbish collection.

US President Barack Obama's return to the White House from a trip to Wisconsin was affected after the weather grounded the helicopter that typically takes him into Washington from the military base where his Air Force One aircraft lands.

Instead, Obama was met by his motorcade which spent an hour weaving through stalled rush hour traffic on a journey that normally takes it about 20 minutes.

In the US capital, Washington DC, the National Weather Service warned that "very hazardous or impossible travel" was expected amid strong winds and "significant amounts of snow".

The unusually cold winter weather has continued to affect southern states. Kentucky has received around 6 inches (15cm) of snow and driving conditions are treacherous in Tennessee.

Air Canada moved a scheduled flight from Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island to Montreal up to midnight from 6am in order to beat the snow, the CBC reported.

It has snowed so much in the town of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, this winter that clean up crews are running out of places to move ploughed snow to.