New York snowstorm: The videos that show the scale of destruction

A year's worth of snow has fallen in the last week

Tami Normile and Richard Brooks attempt to remove some of the five feet of snow from a roof top on November 20, 2014 in the Lakeview neighborhood of Buffalo, New York. (John Normile | Getty Images)

Western New York state has been ravaged this week by one of the worst snowstorms in recent memory.

Some areas of the state which border the Great Lakes have seen roughly seven feet of snow over the course of the week, with the National Weather Service reporting that parts of the area could expect three feet more by Friday.

Erie County officials have said that at least 10 people have died from the storm. There is a state of emergency in ten counties and driving was banned on many roads.

The National Football League game between the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills will be shifted from Buffalo to Detroit on Monday due to the heavy snowfall.

The turbulent winter weather is not just consigned to New York state: temperatures have dipped below freezing in all 50 states – including Hawaii.

To get a grasp of just how cold it is - and just how much snow has been dumped on cities such as Buffalo in the last few days - a number of videos have captured the power of the snowstorm and just how debilitating it has been to residents.

Time-lapse of lake snow effect

It is believed the freezing weather is the result of a sharp southward dip in the jet stream that has pulled cold air down from the Artic. The phenomenon, known as a "polar vortex", has been enhanced in Buffalo – one of the worst affected areas – by the "lake effect", as warm air off nearby Lake Erie has reacted with the drastically cooler air to produce huge snowfalls.

Aerial view of the snowfall in Buffalo, NY

Amazing footage from Buffalo Aerial Pictures shows the vast amount of snow that people in the city woke up to on Thursday morning. People can be seen digging through piles of snow that tower high above them.

Buried under 5ft of snow

This video shows what it's like to wake up and find that your home is surrounded by 5ft-high snow. The resident still comes across as good-humoured as he struggles to find his car in Alden, New York.

Snowmobiles on the motorway

With the Route 5 state motorway completely deserted after the heavy snowfall, a couple of friends rode along the road on their snowmobiles. The motorway is eerily quiet while the area around the road is just a mountain of untouched snow.

And...Surfers ride some waves during the storm

One couple in Buffalo decided to ignore the snowstorm altogether and go surfing on Lake Eerie. Christian Edie and Kevin Cullen carried their boards through deep snow before plunging into the icy water in the middle of the blizzard on Tuesday.