America is buried by Jonas: 'Storm of a generation' dumps up to 40 inches of snow on the East Coast, with at least 19 killed, 12,000 flights axed, flooding and cars stranded for 24 hours 

The East Coast of America was getting ready to dig its way out of record-breaking snowfall this morning after historic storm Jonas battered the nation on Saturday.

Glengary, West Virginia, topped the charts for the East Coast blizzard with an astonishing 40 inches of snowfall, but 67 locations, mostly in West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland, reported at least two feet of snow.

Baltimore alone saw record-breaking snowfall of 29 inches, Dulles International Airport outside of Washington was just behind at 23.5 inches of snow, which puts it third all time for that location with another eight hours or so of snow forecast, while New York City saw 26.8 inches – just 0.1 inches short of the 2006 record.

Ten states declared emergencies, with more than 12,000 flights canceled across the country over the weekend. Coastal flooding was reported in New Jersey, motorists in Kentucky and Pennsylvania were stranded for more than 24 hours, while the storm’s death toll reached 19. Thirteen people were killed in weather-related car crashes in Arkansas, North Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia. One person died in Maryland and three in New York City while shoveling snow. And two people died of hypothermia in Virginia.

The New York Police Department's Chief of Department Jim O'Neill told reporters on Saturday one person on Staten Island and two people in Queens died. He released no further details on the deaths.

Spokeswoman Corinne Geller says the Office of the Virginia Chief Medical Examiner has confirmed that two deaths are the result of hypothermia. Those deaths occurred in Hampton and Wise County, in southwest Virginia.

State police did not release the names of the hypothermia victims or the time or circumstances of their deaths.

Meanwhile forecaster Ryan Maue said he was out of words to describe how bad the storm was, adding: 'This is going to be one of those generational events, where your parents talk about how bad it was.'

Today, it emerged Storm Jonas is heading across the Atlantic bringing violent storm force winds and heavy rain to the UK this week.

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A man, wearing boots, gloves and a hooded jacket, walks along a street covered by snow during a winter storm in Washington

A woman decorates a snowman in Times Square as all cars but emergency vehicles are banned from driving on the road on Saturday in New York

Pictured is a bridge in New York after snow from Storm Jonas stopped falling over the city at around 10pm yesterday 

A New York woman cross-country skis across Columbus Circle after Storm Jonas battered the East Coast of America

In New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency and has warned citizens to stay off the streets all day today. Pictured are cars completely buried in snow

A New York Police Department car is seen driving past snow-covered cars on the Lower East Side of Manhattan during the large winter storm in the early hours of this morning

A woman walks along a street in the East Falls section of Philadelphia on Saturday after a blizzard with hurricane-force winds brought much of the East Coast to a standstill

Pedestrians are seen walking on the snow-covered streets of the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York as Storm Jonas hit the city

Babs Levedahl takes her huskies, Merlin, left, and Misty May, right, along with a neighbor's Malamut, Ollie, dog sledding in Baltimore on Saturday

Storm Jonas is expected to dump more than two feet (61 centimeters) of snow in the Washington DC region (pictured) throughout the weekend

A Virginia National Guard Humvee stuck in the snow near Washington DC during the major snow blizzard of 2016, Winter Storm Jonas

One in seven Americans are expected to see half a foot of snow today. Pictured is snow in Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York

Women jump as they pose for a picture while visiting Central Park in New York City on as potentially record-breaking snow falls on Saturday

A group of bundled-up men play football in the snow in Downtown Brooklyn in New York on Saturday. The National Weather Service posted a blizzard warning stretching over an area from northern Virginia to New York City

A group of kids slide down a hill in the snow near the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in Lower Manhattan, New York on Saturday

People walk through the streets of the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York, on Saturday during the blizzard

The National Weather Service warned the worst is still to come for many parts today. Pictured is a now-covered street in New York

A women walks towards the Steamship Ferry Terminal in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, as a snowstorm continues on Saturday

Police car patrols the in the snow on Saturday in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The Northeast and parts of the South are experiencing heavy snow and ice from a slow moving winter storm

Gary Utley, 27, of Alexandria, snowboards behind a Jeep driven by his friend, as snow falls, in Alexandria, Virginia, on Saturday

People walk across the Brooklyn Bridge in Brooklyn, New York, on Saturday during the blizzard brought on by Storm Jonas

People walk across the Williamsburg Bridget during a large winter storm in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York, on Saturday

People walk down the middle of 42nd Street past Grand Central Terminal in the Manhattan borough of New York on Saturday night

New York City banned all road travel, canceled all bus services, and shut overground parts of the subway on Saturday afternoon

The travel ban left man walking through the un-shoveled sidewalks and the rarely empty streets of New York City on Saturday evening

The streets in Washington, DC, seemed just as desolate on Saturday, as pedestrians walked car-free streets

A small snowman was built in the heart of Times Square in New York City on Saturday during Storm Jonas which battered the East Coast

A pedestrian carrying several bags crosses a street through blowing snow in front of Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Saturday

Travel bans barring nonemergency vehicles from the roads of New York City and Baltimore are expected to be lifted by early Sunday morning, and mass transit systems that had been partially suspended during the storm were scheduled to run again.

But even as United Airlines said limited service might begin later in the afternoon on Sunday in New York City, airports in the Washington DC area were likely to remain closed Sunday, and other airlines started to cut Monday service in addition to the 8,000 already-canceled weekend flights.

The usually bustling New York City looked more like a ghost town. With Broadway shows dark, thin crowds shuffled through a different kind of Great White Way, the nickname for a section of the theater district. And Bruce Springsteen canceled Sunday's scheduled show at Madison Square Garden.

In Washington, monuments that would typically be busy with tourists stood vacant. All mass transit in the capital was to be shut down through Sunday.

Seventeen-year-old Alex Cruz, helping a neighbor shovel snow Saturday in Silver Spring, Maryland, couldn't help but notice the emptiness.

'It's like living out in the middle of Wyoming,' he said.

Several seaside resort towns in New Jersey were temporarily isolated by flood waters when the tide rushed in on Saturday, and firefighters were hampered by floodwaters and the weather as they battled a blaze at a restaurant. 

Coastal flooding has already been reported in New Jersey and 100,000 homes were left without power. New Jersey Transit has been temporarily shut down on Saturday.

The winter storm created near-record high tides along the Jersey Shore, surpassing the tide of Hurricane Sandy according to North Wildwood city officials.

'When the water just started rushing down, it was as impressive as some of the videos you saw of Japan during the tsunamis,' said Jason Pellegrini, owner of Steak Out restaurant in Sea Isle City, who was trapped inside by floodwaters.

'It came in that fast,' he said.

Another restaurant, The Lobster House, was partly submerged by the rising tide more than 20 miles away in Cape May.

'It touched everywhere,' said Keith Laudeman, the third-generation owner of the nearly century-old establishment on Cape May Harbor. 'It even got to the equipment we moved and never thought would get touched.'

A couple take a stroll in Riverside Park in New York which is covered in the white stuff after a day of heavy snowfall in the East Coast

People enjoy the heavy snowfall at Riverside Park in New York City as Storm Jonas battered the East Coast of America yesterday

Children are pulled home after playing at Riverside Park, in New York City, which was covered in snow after a day of constant snow fall

The water quickly receded. And Laudeman said he has a whole crew of people preparing to clean the place so they can reopen in the coming days.

'I had more water than I had when Sandy came through,' he said. 'We had a lot of wind. Fortunately, none of the boats broke loose.' 

The barrier islands near Atlantic City were experiencing significant tidal flooding, said Linda Gilmore, the county's public information officer.

The storm developed along the Gulf Coast, dropping snow over Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky on Friday. On the coast, warm, moist air from the Atlantic Ocean collided with cold air to form the massive winter system, meteorologists said.

In New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has closed all bus services, shut overground subway lines and announced a ban on all road traffic effective at 2.30pm after state governor Andrew Cuomo had earlier urged people to stay in their homes.New York's above-ground subway service has been shut down as snow continues to fall throughout the city. 

There were three shoveling-related deaths in the city, officials told NBC News. Police have responded to at least 312 car accidents and 343 disabled vehicles across the city, officials said. 

This composite satellite image of the East Coast of the United States and Atlantic Ocean on Saturday from the NASA MODIS instruments Aqua and Terra shows snow cover over most the northern USA and Canada

The thick white patches blanket the United States from the Gulf of Mexico and Florida up through the East Coast and reach as far west as the Midwest

This image made available by NASA via Twitter posted on Saturday by space station commander Scott Kelly, shows a view from the International Space Station of a storm passing over the United States

A local pizza store is seen open for business in the East Village in Manhattan during a large winter storm in New York, New York

A man walks across a snow-covered street in New York City during storm Jonas on Saturday night

Dozens of people take part in an impromptu snow ball fight during a snow storm in Times Square in the Manhattan borough of New York

(L-R) Mia Fraser, Zakiya Cordice, Tierra Sinclair, and Raina Schoen Thomas walk through the snowy streets of Times Square on Saturday

Leticia Pereira, 20, and Luiz Veiga, 23, kiss as pedestrians mingle in Times Square in New York City on Saturday

A man poses for a photo on a snow pile during a snow storm in Times Square in the Manhattan borough of New York on Saturday night

Two young men run along West 83 street which is covered in snow after a day of constant snow fall on Saturday

The East Coast has been blanketed by snow on Saturday as winter storm Jonas has brought up to two feet of snow to major cities while ten states have declared emergencies (pictured, Washington D.C. on Saturday)

Ten inches of snow fell in Manhattan on Saturday morning with more expected to come as winter storm Jonas advanced up the East Coast

 Workers struggle to keep the streets open in New York where all driving has been banned as a precautionary measure on Saturday

A man uses skis to make his way around Manhattan in near white-out conditions on Saturday as winter storm Jonas blankets the city in snow

New York has cancelled bus services, announced a ban on driving, and shut down above-ground subway services as winter storm Jonas has blanketed the city with snow

Meanwhile in Virginia people took pictures next to a massive pile of snow that was cleared from the roads on Saturday

A U.S. Army SUV makes its way down 7th Avenue during the snowstorm in Times Square in the Manhattan borough of New York

A woman strolls through New York City streets after the roads were closed to vehicles on Saturday afternoon during Storm Jonas

A worker in Times Square tires to keep sidewalks open on Saturday as a deadly blizzard with bone-chilling winds and potentially record-breaking snowfall slammed the East Coast

Bethany Wallace loads her car with groceries outside the Stop and Shop in Marstons Mills, Massachusetts, on Saturday

Times Square Alliance workers shovel snow off the viewing steps as New York hunkers down under storm Jonas which hit on Saturday

While everyone else was bundled up, the Naked Cowboy in Times Square in New York City still bared it all to pose for pictures

A man waits for a D train at the snow-covered 25th Avenue stop in the Brooklyn borough of New York on Saturday. Above-ground trains stopped running at 4pm in the city

More than 25 inches of snow have fallen in New York City during a blizzard that has blanketed the East Coast. 

New York's governor Andrew Cuomo said a travel ban he instituted during a massive snowstorm will likely be lifted by Sunday morning and that he he expects to lift the ban that barred non-emergency motorists from being on the roads by 7am Sunday.

Officials had warned that police would enforce the ban so that workers could clear the roads. Cuomo says he's unaware of any arrests. The governor declared a state of emergency Saturday throughout New York City and its suburbs during the storm.

Transit officials have shut down the above-ground portions of the Metro-North, Long Island Rail Road and city subway systems. Public buses stopped running at noon in New York City.

Cuomo said officials will advise by 6am Sunday whether above-ground subway service will resume.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority revealed a revised subway map after limiting service Saturday afternoon. Much service on the 4 and 5 lines in the Bronx, the A line to the Rockaways and the B, D, F and Q lines in Brooklyn is suspended. Bus service was shut down hours earlier. 

The MTA says above-ground Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad service also has been stopped.All Broadway shows have been canceled for the evening as actors and audiences were unable to make the journey to the performances.

The last time Broadway took a big weather hit was Superstorm Sandy in 2012. It darkened Broadway for four days and cost more than $8.5million in lost revenue.

Charlotte St Martin - president of The Broadway League, which represents producers - said: 'We expect normal operations to resume for tomorrow's Sunday matinees.'

Democratic Gov Andrew Cuomo has declared a state of emergency in New York City and its suburbs.

Officials say the 26.8 inches of snow that fell in New York City's Central Park is the second-most recorded since 1869.

The National Weather Service announced the new snowfall total just after midnight today. That narrowly misses tying the previous record of 26.9 inches from February 2006.

A man clears snow from the steps of the US Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C., on saturday

A stuck snow plow blocks an intersection on New Jersey Ave in Washington, D.C., on Saturday after the city faced at least two feet of snow

A group of bundled-up joggers, who faced the storm to go on a run, pass The White House in Washington, D.C. on Saturday

William Winston of Richmond digs his jeep out of a snow bank in Richmond, Virginia, on Saturday. Portions of the city are under blizzard warning

A resident skies through a park during a snow storm in Old Greenwich, Connecticut, on Saturday

Cars were nearly buried under huge snow drifts in Washington D.C. on Saturday as record breaking snowfall came to the eastern U.S.

Several pedestrians gave up walking and took to using skis instead during very heavy snowfall in Washington on Saturday afternoon

Pedestrians cope with snow covering sidewalks and streets in Time Square as the city filled with snow from storm Jonas tonight

A man makes his way during a storm in New York while across the East Coast nineteen people were reported dead from the storm

Cars covered in snow are seen parked along a street in Prince William County, Virginia, onSaturday afternoon in heavy snow

People trudge though the snow as they cross 42nd St during a snowstorm Manhattan borough of New York

Some people made the most of the snowy weather in Central Park on Saturday, sledding down hills and throwing snowballs at each other

A snowman stands on the lawn in front of the White House after Washington DC was covered with a blanket of snow during storm Jonas

A woman is seen walking on the snow covered streets of the Lower East Side of Manhattan as Storm Jonas hits New York City

Forecaster Gregory Gallina of the National Weather Service says the weekend's blizzard is transitioning away from the Washington-Baltimore area, moving further north, but in doing so its 'end throws' are fierce.

That means strong winds of about an inch-and-a-half snow per hour and gusty nearly horizontal winds, although not the hurricane force winds seen on the coast on Saturday.

Gallina says the Washington-Baltimore-Philadelphia region should get another two to six inches of snow before the storm ends around midnight.

Seven locations near Washington have unofficially passed the 30 inches of snow mark, as of 1pm Saturday. That's according to the National Weather Service's running totals. And 36 places recorded at least two feet of snow.

Two airports in the Washington region will likely remain closed through Sunday.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which oversees Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport, said Saturday evening in a statement that the airports continue to experience significant snowfall.

The authority says the snow and high winds are making snow removal on the runways, roadways and parking lots difficult. Add that to the closure of roads and public transportation, and the authority says it is unlikely that normal flight operations would resume Sunday.

The authority says passengers should contact their airline directly for specific flight information and to re-book any flights if necessary. The authority says it will continue to evaluate conditions to make decisions about when to open the runways.

Nearly 30 inches of snow had reportedly fallen at Dulles as of 8pm last night.

In New York, the blizzard is just strong, not ending. Gallina said New York City was seeing snow fall at a rate of two to three inches per hour.

Snow, ice and gusting winds are being blamed for the collapse of a roof at a historic Virginia theater near the Chesapeake Bay.

The Donk's Theater roof gave in Friday as the massive winter storm gripping the East Coast swept into Mathews County, about 75 miles east of Richmond. No one was injured.

The county's chief building official, Jamie Wilks, said the theater was a total loss, according to the Daily Press of Newport News. He said the building is on the National Register of Historic Places. 

The theater opened in 1947 as a movie house. It closed in the 70s but was resurrected as a country music venue, ultimately earning the title as 'Home of Virginia's Lil' Ole Opry.'

Dolly Parton was among the country entertainers who performed at Donk's.

The powerful winter storm pummeling much of the United States also stymied the US. military on Saturday.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter was heading home from a five-day trip to Paris and the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. But his high-tech aircraft - known as the Doomsday Plane - wasn't able to land at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland as originally planned.

Instead, the plane took a left turn and headed south. Carter was rerouted to Tampa, Florida, where he will wait until he is able to fly into the nation's capital.

Workers have been battling all day in attempts to keep tourist attractions such as Times Square free of snow amid blizzard conditions

Pedestrians struggle through the New York snow in Manhattan on Saturday after the city virtually shut down in the face of storm Jonas

Women make their way through Times Square in New York as storm Jonas dumps up to 24 inches of snow on to the streets

Times Square is seen while snow falls in New York City on Saturday. The city saw more than 25 inches as storm Jonas hit

People cross-country ski past the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall after a snowstorm on Saturday after snow blanketed the city

People use a wall surrounding the Washington Monument to walk above the snow after the snowstorm on Saturday

Cab drivers work to remove their cars on Fifth Avenue in New York City after snow covered the streets, making it difficult to drive

A NYC transit worker shovels snow from an above-ground subway platform in New York City before the above-ground trains were closed on Saturday

Snow is seen on a bench and on the platform at Canal Street Station in Lower Manhattan in New York City on Saturday

A woman carefully enters Columbia Circle subway stop, where the stairs were covered in packed snow, on Saturday

People are seen here walking on Canal Street in Chinatown in Lower Manhattan in New York City on Saturday

People walked down Canal Street in New York City after cars were banned from travel on Saturday as Storm Jonas battered the East Coast

In Virginia police said they responded to 1,000 crash reports overnight, with another 900 people reporting breakdowns, and across the country 170,000 people are now reported to be without power, with the vast majority in North and South Carolina.

A trooper in Virginia was injured on Friday night while assisting a disabled vehicle on Interstate 64 in New Kent County. Geller said Trooper MD Jester is being treated for minor injuries in a Richmond hospital.

All bus services have been suspended in New York starting at midday Saturday due to poor visibility, while subway services are under review.

Thundersnow, a rare phenomenon in which lightning and thunder occurs during a snowstorm, was also reported in Maryland where up to 20 inches of snow was already on the ground by Saturday morning.

Speaking to CNN on Saturday, New Jersey governor Chris Christie said: 'We are ready to get the National Guard out for evacuations if necessary and we have shelters in every county in the state.

'People should stay inside, not only is the weather incredibly nasty but it is helping us keep roads passable. We have two to three inches falling an hour. Please stay inside, please don't drive today.' 

Hundreds of drivers were stranded overnight in Kentucky on a long stretch of Interstate 75 south of Lexington because of a string of crashes and blowing snow. Crews passed out snacks, fuel and water and tried to move cars one by one.

Police said Saturday afternoon that all lanes are open on Interstate 75 in south-central Kentucky after hundreds of drivers were stranded overnight. Kentucky State Police and emergency officials gave the update on Saturday. Later that day, traffic was cleared.

Trooper Lloyd Cochran has said he doesn't have a figure for number of cars or people affected by the standstill but noted that no injuries were reported.

He said local hotels were booked. Shelters also were opened, but Cochran says he doesn't know how many people went there. Cochran says salt trucks are out, but he and other officials say traffic is moving slowly and will continue to do so for some time.

Snow fell across New York on Saturday and is due to continue overnight, bringing as much as 42 inches in the next 24 hours

Winds of up to 50mph and heavy snow in Manhattan on Saturday caused near white-out conditions as storm Jonas arrived

Central park was also covered with snow on Saturday, where six inches fell in the first few hours of the morning and kept building at a rate of three inches every hour

A young woman tries to make her way out of a store in lower Manhattan on Saturday before getting caught in snow

A parent and their child dragging sleds cross the road in Manhattan as a snow plow makes its way past on Saturday

A delivery man on a bike navigates his way through Manhattan on Saturday as snow continues to fall an is due to continue overnight

A man with ice and snow frozen to his face makes his way through New York amid heavy snow across the whole of the East Coast Saturday

A masked man walks on King Street as snow falls in Alexandria, Virginia, on Saturday amid record snowfall across the East Coast

A snow plow clears Route 206 during a winter storm near Trenton, New Jersey, where flood were also reported on Saturday

Visitors brave the driving winds and heavy snowfall to take a stroll through Central Park on Saturday afternoon

A couple of volunteers help a driver push is car out of the snow in New York City on Saturday

Tourists pose with the Wall Street Bull in New York City, despite the treatorous weather, as Storm Jonas battered the East Coast of America

The National Weather Service says that in nearly two dozen places, the amount of snow has already passed the 20-inch mark, with a full day of more snow to come.

The accumulation totals come Saturday morning as a storm treks across the country.

 Not all the totals are official weather stations, but forty inches of snow fell in a rural area of West Virginia, not far from Harper's Ferry, according to unofficial statistics at the National Weather Service. 

Snow is expected to keep falling until later Sunday morning. High winds - sometimes seeming to blow sideways - are making it hard to get accurate measurements of snowfall except in official locations, meteorologists said.

The weather service's storm tracking page reported that on the Eastern Shore, Dewey Beach, Delaware, and Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, recorded hurricane-force 75 mph winds.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter was heading home from a five-day trip to Paris and the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. But his high-tech aircraft - known as the Doomsday Plane - wasn't able to land at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland as originally planned.

Instead, the plane took a left turn and headed south. Carter was rerouted to Tampa, Florida, where he will wait until he is able to fly into the nation's capital. 

Baltimore, which saw a record-breaking 29 inches of snow - is banning nonemergency vehicles from its streets overnight to speed the cleanup from the massive East Coast snowstorm. 

Times Square, which is usually filled with tourists at all hours, was virtually deserted on Saturday as workers tried to clear the snow away

City staff struggled to keep sidewalks open as snow fell at rates of up to three inches per hour throughout most of Saturday

Michelle Fox plays with her dogs Peaches, jumping, and Annie as snow continues to pile up in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania

A worker cleans snow off the platform at the Metro North Train station in Greenwich, Connecticut, where heavy snow fell on Saturday

Bryan Gold skis down 13th Street in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington on Saturday as it looked almost certain that the state will break its all-time snow record with two feet having already fallen in some places

A man walks in Greenwich, Connecticut, amid heavy snowfall across the East Coast that is expected to last for the rest of the weekend

A face on the memorial to Judge John Handley, Handley High School benefactor, peers out through the more than 16 inches of blowing snow that has fallen in Winchester, Virginia, on Saturday

Millions of Americans are battling with the elements on Saturday as Jonas brought hurricane-force winds and feet of snow to ten states

A homeless man walks on snow covered 14th street North West in Washington on Saturday as the area was battered by snow

More than 85million Americans affected by the storm have been advised to keep their homes accessible during the storm in case emergency crews need to enter (pictured, a woman attempts to dig her car out of the snow in Washington)

Uniform secret service officers push a police car that is stuck in front of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington D.C.

In Washington D.C. there is more than a foot of snow on the ground on Saturday while two feet is possible before Sunday, making it the worst snowfall the city has ever received

Workers in Washington D.C. have been working frantically on Saturday to try and keep roads and sidewalks open as snow continues to fall for the second day, and will not stop until Sunday

People walk and bike down Broad Street in Philadelphia, just one of the major East Coast cities covered with a blanket of snow on Saturday

A woman uses snowshoes to walk in front of the eisenhower executive office building during the snow storm on in Washington on Saturday

Ten-year-old local Hayes Reger sleds around on the West Front Lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building on Saturday

Dan Rafalin, left, lifts his daughter, Delila Rafalin, 5, while playing in heavy snowfall with their family on Independence Mall in Philadelphia

A soldier with the 275th Military Police company in a Humvee stops on I-395 as they assist a stranded motorist in the snow in Washington

Maryland Gov Larry Hogan has ordered the immediate closure of the entire 34.7-mile length of I-270 and I-70 from I-81 in Washington County to the Baltimore Beltway. 

The highways will remain closed until 7am on Sunday to all motorists except for emergency personnel. The closures follow snow related traffic incidents involving several tractor trailers and other vehicles on both interstates.

Hogan, in a news release Saturday evening, said, 'Closing I-70and I-270 will give us the time needed to deploy all our resources to clear these essential interstates as quickly as possible as we prepare to get our transportation network back up and running'.

Hogan urged Marylanders to stay off every road in the state. He said, 'Stay safe and stay at home while crews do their jobs'.  

District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser said Saturday in a news conference that people should not be driving or walking in the streets.

Bowser told residents: 'We need you to stay home.'

Bowser says the visibility is poor and people walking in the streets are not easily seen. Officials say there are no reported fatalities so far. Officials say they expect another possible ten inches of snow as well as high winds.

'The forecasts suggest that the snow will wrap up late tonight or in the very early hours of the morning,' Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a press conference. 'But it doesn't make it any less dangerous. We expect continued high winds throughout the area which will continue to make the conditions and visibility very poor.' 

Police Chief Cathy Lanier says even people with four wheel drive vehicles are getting stuck. Bowser again emphasized: 'Please stay home.'

About 150,000 North Carolina homes and businesses are shuddering in the cold after ice and strong winds caused power outages. 

The State Highway Patrol warned motorists on Saturday to stay off roads that were coated with invisible sheets of ice. Troopers had responded to more than 2,000 crashes since icy conditions moved in on Wednesday. At least five storm-related deaths are reported in the state.

The heaviest power outages were south of Raleigh. Officials warned statewide that sustained winds of 20 miles an hour Saturday threatened to rip down ice-coated power lines.

Most flights in and out of Raleigh-Durham's airport were canceled, but American Airlines' second-busiest hub in Charlotte was open.

Gov Pat McCrory urged fans to stay home rather than attend Saturday's rivalry game between Duke University and North Carolina State University in Raleigh. 

A couple lays in over nine inches of snow with their dogs in Lafayette Park in Washington DC on Saturday as Storm Jonas hit the region

Traffic was at a standstill for hours on the Pennsylvania Turnpike yesterday stranding hundreds of motorists in the snow

National Guard have been on hand to distribute water, food and fuel to the stranded drivers as the snow continued to fall

A woman takes pictures of snow covered cars in Washington D.C. on Saturday which has seen more than two feet of snow fall in parts

Storm Jonas had left the East Coast covered with a think blanket of snow on Saturday as it hovers over the East Coast of the United States

A girl tries to cross snow covered 15th street North West in Downtown Washington which has been covered in feet of snow on Saturday

Authorities in Maryland say a man shoveling snow has died after an apparent heart attack as a blizzard dumps snow across much of the United States, bringing the total number of deaths from the storm to at least nineteen nationwide.

Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department spokesman Mark Brady says paramedics were called to the Fort Washington area around 10am Saturday for a report of a 60-year-old man who was shoveling and appeared to have a heart attack. Brady says medics were not able to revive the man and he died. His name wasn't released.

Brady had just sent out an advisory warning of the potential for heart attacks while shoveling. He urged people older than 50 and those with heart conditions to get someone else to do the job, noting that the amount of snowfall associated with this storm will be particularly challenging to shovel.

New York City's expected total was upped Friday to 18 to 24 inches. But Sullivan said 'the winds are going to be the real problem; that's when we'll see possible power outages.'

Snow was forecast to start falling in New York at around 4am on Saturday, but the first flakes actually fell at around 10pm on Friday, with a steady snowfall across Manhattan by 11pm.

The result could create snowdrifts four to five feet high, so even measuring it for records could be difficult, he said.

By evening, wet, heavy snow was falling in the capital, making downed power lines more likely, and yet many people remained on the roads, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said. 'Find a safe place and stay there,' she beseeched.

Anyone trying to travel in this mess risks getting stuck for hours, marooned in odd places, or killed, authorities warned.

A plow clears the parking lot at the Rutters Farm Store along the Susquehanna Trail in York, Pennsylvania, on Saturday

Chase Coble works a snow shovel on West Washington Street as city crews worked to clear downtown streets and sidewalks in the aftermath of the winter storm on Saturday

Issabella Rickman slides down a hill on a sled during a blizzard in Arlington, Virginia on January 23, 2016. A deadly blizzard with bone-chilling winds and potentially record-breaking snowfall slammed the eastern US on Saturday

At least 10 people died in storm-related crashes before the worst of the storm, including Stacy Sherrill, whose car plummeted off an icy road in Tennessee. Her husband survived after climbing for hours up a 300-foot embankment.

'They're slipping and sliding all over the place,' said Kentucky State Police Trooper Lloyd Cochran — as soon as one wreck was cleared, other cars slammed into each other, causing gridlock for hours on interstate highways. 

A man died in southeastern Kentucky when his car collided with a salt truck Thursday, state police said. Billy R. Stevens, 59, of Williamsburg was pronounced dead at the scene on state Route 92 in Whitley County. Two passengers were being treated at a hospital.

In addition, a four-year-old boy in North Carolina died Friday afternoon after the pickup truck carrying his family on Interstate 77 near Troutman spun out of control and crashed, said State Highway Patrol Sgt. Michael Baker.

The Ford pickup carrying two adults and their three children all under eight years old slammed into a tow truck working to haul out a vehicle that had run off the highway earlier, Baker said. Troopers say the boy was restrained in a child seat and died as a result of the impact. 

Motorists also were reported stranded along pockets of the Pennsylvania Turnpike near the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel in Somerset County. The National Guard was called to help, said Pennsylvania Turnpike spokesman Carl DeFebo.

In the Washington metro area, nearly two feet of snow was on the ground by Saturday morning. The federal government closed its offices at noon on Friday, and all mass transit was to be shut down through Sunday. President Barack Obama was one of many who stayed home.

Skip Hampton pulls his 22 month old son Purcell along West Market Street, with his wife Sarah, after a morning of sledding on a nearby hill in North Carolina, while Refugio Cortes fills up on kerosene, which he and his wife use to heat their home

Reece Davis, left, helps Scott Bailey dig out after getting stuck at SecurCare Self Storage on West Wendover Avenue in North Carolina

A man makes his way through the snow on Saturday, in the Georgetown area of Washington, as Storm Jonas battered the East Coast

A man uses cross country skies as he goes down M Street NW in the snow, Saturday in the Georgetown area of Washington area

A pedestrian waits to cross the street as a truck carrying a load of snow passes in front on the National Mall in Washington

In Silver Spring, Maryland, about 20 inches of snow had fallen by daybreak.

Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. Plows cleared a heavily traveled road for ambulances and trucks, but few other vehicles were moving. A couple of intrepid people walked along the cleared portion of the road, ducking into the deeper snow when vehicles approached. 

Other states that got more than 6 inches included Delaware, Georgia, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia. Parts of Georgia and Alabama received one to 3.5 inches. 

In North Carolina a Good Samaritan was allegedly shot and killed by the very man he tried to help after he saw a car spin out on an icy road on Friday afternoon.

Marvin Jacob Lee, 27, has been charged with the murder of Jefferson Heavner. Police said he struck Lee once and then stood over his body and shot him 'numerous times'. 

Heavner, 26, was among a group of people, including neighbors and a passing truck, who went to help when they saw a car spin out and become stuck on a Catawba County road around 5.20pm.

The group then decided to call police for assistance when Lee became belligerent, according to Sheriff Coy Reid.

A snowman wearing the jacket of a local bakery stands on the street in Washington DC which has seen feet of snow fall in 24 hours

People carrying umbrellas walk in the snow past the White House where at least ten inches of snow has fallen in the last few hours

Dumper trucks were brought to the streets in Washington to help deal with the feet of snow that has fallen since Friday

Two people use cross country skis to get around the snow in front of the U.S. Capitol on Saturday

Jared Meyer of Chattanooga, Tenn., digs out his car from the snow, Saturday, January 23, 2016 in Arlington, Virginia

New York residents bundle up and face the snowy streets of New York City on Saturday. By late evening, the city received 25 inches of snow

'They thought he was drunk or on dope and said 'Let's just call the law and let them deal with it'', Reid told The Charlotte Observer.

When Lee heard them calling the police he took out an automatic pistol and began shooting at the group, who tried to run away, authorities said.

Police said Lee returned to his car, which was still stuck, after he struck Lee once and then shot him again multiple times.

Officers arrived on the scene and demanded Lee to get out of the car. When he did not a SWAT team arrived and found that he was passed out, according to Reid.

Lee woke up as he was being physically pulled out of the car by SWAT members and tried to resist, Reid said.

He has since been charged with murder. The shooting remains under investigation, according to WSOC.

Even before the snow began to fall Friday afternoon, states of emergency were declared. Lawmakers went home, and schools, government offices and transit systems closed early from Georgia to New York.

The ice and snow made travel treacherous, with thousands of accidents and at least nine deaths reported along the region's roadways. By late Friday, Virginia State Police had reported 989 crashes statewide and had assisted nearly 800 disabled vehicles, police spokesman Ken Schrad said.

Water floods hit Tenth Avenue in North Wildwood, New Jersey, on Saturday. A winter storm created near record high tides along the Jersey Shore

High tides in North Wildwood, New Jersey, surpassed the tide of Hurricane Sandy according to North Wildwood city officials

A car attempts to drive through the flooded streets of North Wildwood, New Jersey, on Saturday

Ice and water floods overtook several homes and businesses across North Wildwood, New Jersey, on Saturday

A North Wildwood firefighter helps local resident Joe Tolomeo from his flooded home on 12th Avenue in North Wildwood, New Jersey, on Saturday

The Stone Harbor Fire and Rescue bring Phil Lazenby, from Stone Harbor, to the Reeds Hotel after evacuating him from his home on Saturday

A car is stranded Third Avenue in Stone Harbor, New Jersey, on Saturday after several cities in the state were flooded by a high tide

A statue of Andrew Jackson is covered in snow near the White House where up to ten inches of snow fell on Saturday

Icicles hang from the awning out the front of a store front in Georgetown, Washington, where up to three feet of snow was reported on Saturday

A digger loads snow into a dumper truck in Alexandria, Virginia, on Saturday amid heavy snowfall which caused traffic accidents across the state

A motorist shovels snow to free up a vehicle on the New Jersey Turnpike during a snowstorm after motorists were told to stay indoors

A trio of snowplows attempts to clear snow from Broadway on the Upper West Side in New York on Saturday as snow continues overnight

A deadly blizzard with bone-chilling winds and potentially record-breaking snowfall slammed the eastern US on Saturday

The NHL postponed Sunday's game between the Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins because of the severe snowstorm in the Washington area.

The league on Saturday did not announce a makeup date.

This is the third game postponed in Washington because of the storm, following the Capitals' game against the Anaheim Ducks and the NBA game between the Wizards and Utah Jazz.

The Penguins next play against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday and the Capitals against the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday.

A university basketball team and a university gymnastics team whose buses were marooned in snow on the Pennsylvania Turnpike are heading home after a long night on stranded on the highway.

Buses carrying the Duquesne University men's basketball team and the Temple University women's gymnastics squad were among more than 500 vehicles that got stuck on the turnpike Friday night as a blizzard hit the region.

National Guard members and front-end loaders started digging vehicles out Saturday. The teams say they their buses were freed Saturday night. Duquesne says 15 basketball players, coaches and support staff members helped push their bus through the snow. 

Coach Jim Ferry said the team bus got stuck around 9.15pm on Friday and hadn't moved since.

'We haven't moved one inch in 12 hours,' he said on Saturday morning.

Ferry said his players are running out of the leftover pizza they bought on the way home from an 86-75 win over George Mason on Friday.

'We're getting pretty hungry,' he said. 'We hope it starts moving pretty soon.'

The basketball team's Twitter account, Duquesne Basketball, tweeted Saturday: 'Update: a fire department has arrived with cases of water for all stranded vehicles, including our bus.'

However, for the passengers on a cruise ship heading back to snowy Baltimore from the Bahamas, one more day at sea doesn't seem such a bad idea.

The Maryland Department of Transportation said Friday that a blizzard means the port won't be ready for the Royal Caribbean International's Grandeur of the Seas until Monday.

The ship was to return Sunday from an eight-day trip to the Bahamas, said Cynthia Martinez, a Royal Caribbean spokeswoman. But plans changed after forecasters said the storm could dump more than two feet of snow.

Meg Ryan of Hamilton, New Jersey, one of the cruise ship's passengers, said she learned about 1pm on Friday of the postponement from the cruise line's website.

'I was not totally surprised and, frankly, happy to be delayed,' Ryan wrote in an email to The Associated Press. 'First, it is an extra day of vacation, but more importantly, safety comes first and travel Sunday would be difficult, if not impossible.' 

Ryan, 51, is an assistant manager of a luggage store in New Jersey. She is also a Master Cruise Counsellor, a certification from the trade organization Cruise Lines International Association. She works with a company called eCruisenet, which provides consulting services to passengers planning trips. Ryan said she was traveling with a group of eCruisenet clients.

Ryan said she expected the cruise line will have activities to entertain passengers, and the shops and casino will be open, 'ready to separate guests from their money.'

On the downside, Ryan said passengers were trying to rebook transportation from Baltimore to their homes. Also, the Grandeur of the Seas was to begin another cruise Sunday to the western Caribbean, so a fresh set of passengers will grapple with a delay. Ryan said the cruise line was helping passengers returning to Baltimore with free calls and Internet access; she took a photo of a line of people waiting to make calls.

Still, an on-board indoor solarium and pool presented an idyllic contrast to what awaited Ryan at home.

'I will return to Hamilton (near Trenton), N.J., to 2 feet of snow, and probably an irate cat, who I am sure will not be happy that I am delayed,' she wrote.

A blizzard with hurricane-force winds brought much of the East Coast to a standstill Saturday, dumping as much as 3 feet of snow, stranding tens of thousands of travelers and shutting down the nation's capital

People walk in the snow toward Chinatown's Friendship Archway in Washington after record amounts of snowfall on the East Coast

A worker uses a snowblower to clear snow from Times Square in Manhattan on Saturday as tourists watch

Workers take a break in order to take selfies in Times Square as snow fell at a rate of up to 3 inches per hour, covering New York

Wrapped up warm against the cold, Times Square workers try desperately to clear snow from the streets of Times Square