US snowstorm: Things are going to get worse

Things are bound to get worse in New York state which is under the grip of a massive snow storm.

According to the Independent, another wave of stormy weather is forecast to sweep across the city of Buffalo in New York state, bringing the total snowfall this week up to levels normally expected over an entire year.

The new fall will undermine the efforts of many who started digging out of their homes, and another three feet (1 metre) of snow is forecast.

On top of the 5.5 feet (1.68 metres) already there in some places, it could become the heaviest 24-hour snowfall on record in the mainland, beating the 75.8 inches (192 centimeters), which fell at Silver Lake, Colorado, in 1921.

The death toll from a rare pre-winter snowstorm has risen to 10.

The US is currently in the grip of a particularly cold period of weather, that has seen temperatures dip below freezing in all 50 states -- even Hawaii.

Driving was banned on many roads and 140 miles (225 km) of the New York State Thruway along Lake Erie and Lake Ontario were closed.

The disparity is typical of the so-called lake effect, which occurs when cold air moves across the relatively warm Great Lakes, drawing in moisture and dropping snowfall onshore, Thomas said. The phenomenon can create intense squalls but leave nearby locations virtually unscathed.

In south Buffalo, snowmobiles were being used to respond to emergency medical calls and rescue stranded motorists while some 5,000 tons of snow was removed from the area, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said at a news conference.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has already declared a state of emergency for 10 counties, deploying National Guard troops to help residents.