East Canada and US reel from snow

The blizzard has been exceptional, even by New England standards

Residents of north-eastern US states are digging out after snowstorms while their Canadian neighbours are bracing for more blizzards.

The weekend weather system, which originated in the US Midwest, dumped up to 97cm (38 inches) of snow on Massachusetts and 60cm in Newfoundland.

Power has now been restored to most of Nantucket island in Massachusetts and to central Toronto, reports say.

But weather forecasters warn of icy winds and more snow to come in parts.

The snowstorms - said to be among the fifth heaviest in the past century - prompted states of emergency to be declared in the US states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Jersey.

Disgruntled travellers waited in airport lounges and hotels in Toronto, Boston, Chicago, New York, and many smaller cities, after thousands of flights were cancelled.

At least 15 deaths were reported across eight US states, including a 10-year-old girl in Brooklyn, New York City, thought to have been struck by a snow plough.

'Stay at home'

In Massachusetts, many schools were closed on Monday morning as residents began to dig out from a blanket of snow that drifted up to the first storey of buildings in some areas.

Governor Mitt Romney asked non-essential state workers in the eastern part of the state to stay at home, the Associated Press news agency reported.

"Any travel is strongly discouraged," the National Weather Service warned Massachusetts residents.

"If you leave the safety of being indoors, you are putting your life at risk."

On Nantucket island, power had been restored to most areas by Sunday night but the deputy fire chief warned the snow had been so heavy it was proving difficult to reach at-risk people in outlying areas, the agency said.

Freezing winds

In New York City, hit by up to 45cm of snow, snow ploughs worked furiously through the night to clear roads.

City officials were hopeful that the morning commute would be near normal, though there would be delays on some subway lines and rail roads.

In Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC, authorities also expressed confidence that most major highways would be cleared ahead of the morning rush hour.

But the job of snow removal crews has been made harder by strong gusty winds, which have been blowing piles of snow back onto the roads.

In Virginia alone, a transport spokeswoman said 16,000 miles (26,000km) of major roads and 7,000 residential streets required clearing.

SUNDAY'S SNOW Blizzard in pictures

From the Great Lakes region down to Florida, authorities have warned of bitter cold exacerbated by the wind, sending temperatures down to -18C (-0.4F).

Meanwhile, in Canada, blizzard warnings remained in effect for parts of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and all of Newfoundland.

Local media reported that it had begun snowing again in Newfoundland, where 60cm had already fallen on Sunday.

A separate snowstorm pounded Newfoundland on Saturday, breaking the winter snowfall record in the provincial capital, St John's, reported the Globe and Mail newspaper.