US snowstorm: East coast struck by mammoth snowfall

Michelle Navarre Cleary pulls a bag as she walks on K Street in Washington on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016
Parts of the eastern United States have received more than two feet (71cm) of snow fall in a huge blizzard that is sweeping across the region.
Heavy snow began falling on Friday across more than 20 states, affecting some 85 million people.
New York City 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.
The nation's capital, Washington, could lie under a record 30in (76cm) of snow by the time the storm passes on Sunday. At the White House, 13in (33cm) of snow fell overnight.
The heaviest snowfall recorded so far (up to 09:00 eastern time, 14:00 GMT) include:
  • 28in (71cm) - Terra Alta, West Virginia
  • 24in (61cm) - Philippi, West Virginia; Oakland, Maryland
  • 23in (58cm) - 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.
Mr 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. "This is bad and getting worse rapidly," his office tweeted.
A uniformed U.S. Secret Service police officer stands guard in a knee-deep snow outside the White House in Washington, Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016
People cross a snow bank to get to the sidewalk on a residential street in Washington, DC on January 23, 2016

A car is stuck in a snow drift during early morning hours as snow continues to fall on January 23, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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