New York hit by heaviest snowfall on record

Two skiers in Prospect Park, New York

New York has recorded its heaviest snowfall since records began, as storms hit the north-eastern United States. Thousands of Americans have been left without power, while 26.9in (68.3cm) of snow had falled in Central Park by last night. The previous record was 26.4in, which fell in December 1947.

In Columbia, Maryland, a figure of 21 inches was recorded while in Hartford, Connecticut, it was 19 inches.

In Maryland, more than 80,000 customers were left without power, and an energy company warned that it would be at least 24 hours before power was fully restored. "It's taking us a long time to even get to the locations where we can begin the restoration process," a spokeswoman said.

Numerous airlines cancelled flights at all of the New York City area's three main airports while Delta also cancelled arrivals and departures at Washington, Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore, Providence, Rhode Island, and Hartford.