BBC Online :Another 3ft (1m) of snow is expected to hit parts of north-eastern US after a massive snowstorm left at least seven dead in New York state on Wednesday.Weather-related deaths were also reported in New Hampshire and Michigan.Parts of the city of Buffalo are already under 5ft of snow. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called the snowstorm a “historic event”.Freezing temperatures have continued in many parts of the US, with heavy disruption to travel.John Jiloty of East Aurora near Buffalo told the BBC that some people had been stuck in their cars for a day and a half.”I’m lucky to not be in some of the worst of it where there’s six feet of snow literally 15 minutes away from where I am,” he said.”We have maybe four feet of snow so a couple more coming tonight and we’ll see how we do”.Some parts of New York State have had about 5ft of snow, and there is more to come, perhaps as much as another 2ft in some places. The situation is not unheard of for this time of year, but it is a little unusual. Cold air has pushed south and moved over the relatively warm Great Lakes area – this increases the temperature contrast between the water and the air, which leads to vast and persistent snow showers.There is an end in sight. It will turn milder through the weekend with a rapid thaw developing – perhaps leading to its own problems with flash flooding.Residents were reported trapped in their homes and cars, and strong winds and icy roads caused motorway accidents and forced school closures in parts of the US.More than 100 National Guard members were deployed in New York to assist in clearing roads and removing abandoned vehicles.Train services in parts of New York state was suspended on Wednesday, while long stretches of road near Buffalo were closed.As well as the fatalities in New York, there were two other weather-related deaths reported in New Hampshire and Michigan.About 20 people have died across the US since Saturday.Three firefighters in Indiana were also injured when a trailer struck a fire truck on a snow-covered road.
