Snowstorm lashes US, 1,000 flights disrupted

A heavy snowstorm and dangerously low temperatures gripped the northeastern US on Friday, delaying flights, paralysing road travel and closing schools and government offices across the region.

Boston was hardest-hit by the first major winter storm of 2014, getting nearly 14 inches of snow, while some towns north of New England's largest city saw close to two feet of accumulation.

Snow and cold stretched from the lower Mississippi Valley to the Atlantic coast, with Washington and New York's morning commutes also hampered by several inches (cm) of fresh powder.

Meteorologists said the snow would taper off across much of the region by late morning, but dangerously cold conditions were expected to linger into Saturday. The National Weather Service said the mass of Arctic air would drop temperatures to 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit (11-17 C) below normal, with record lows possible in some areas on Friday.

"Over the next 24 hours we are going to see temperatures like we haven't seen in quite a while," said Peter Judge, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. "Parts of the state are going to see temperatures 20 degrees below zero (F/-29 C) - not with wind-chill, real temperatures. It's going to be problematic." Washington received more than 2 inches of snow, Baltimore some 3 to 6 inches, Philadelphia roughly 5 inches, Hartford 6 to 10 inches and Boston some 14 inches.