Northeast U.S. Blanketed in Snow Storm Chaos

Millions of people in the northeastern United States were engulfed by snow as a powerful winter storm battered the region causing flight cancellations and closing schools.

Airlines canceled more than 1,220 US flights, including 43 percent of all flights at New York's domestic LaGuardia airport and 28 percent of service at New Jersey's Newark airport, along with almost one in five flights scrapped at New York's main air hub JFK, according to aviation tracker Flight Aware.

Schools were forced to close in New York city and transport operators scrambled to provide service after authorities called on the public to avoid driving amid treacherous conditions.

It was the first time in two years that enough snow had fallen to necessitate the use of plows in the country's most populous city, authorities said.

"10-20 centimeters of snow and wind gusts up to 64 kilometers per hour are expected. Avoid unnecessary travel. If you must travel, use mass transit," the city's emergency notification system said in an alert.

New Yorkers headed to the city's Central Park where hardy joggers and dog walkers rubbed shoulders with snow revelers building snowmen and playing in the powder.

More than 32 million people were under a winter storm warning, issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) as Storm Lorraine wrought havoc.

Many rural areas in the northeast were entirely cut off as snow plows attempted to clear roads even as heavy snow continued to cover driving surfaces.

Hampton Township in New Jersey was hammered with 13 inches of snow while Chester in upstate New York received over 11 inches, according to meteorologists.

"A Nor'easter will bring strong winds and heavy snowfall... which could damage trees, power lines, and disrupt travel. Coastal flooding is expected along portions of the East Coast," the NWS said in an update, using an informal name for the regional storm.