PHOTOS: Massive snowstorm brings northeastern US to a halt

A massive snowstorm slammed the US northeast, dumping as much as 20 inches of snow in some areas, leading to the cancellation of thousands of flights and bringing life to a standstill across major cities from Boston to New York on Friday.

The winter storm brought sub-zero wind chills and ushered in dangerously cold temperatures, creating risky conditions on roads for commuters.

Authorities ordered the closure of interstate highways and airports were shut down, leading to the cancellation of thousands of flights.

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New York's John F Kennedy airport was officially closed Friday morning while Boston's Logan International remained effectively shut down.

New York City received 7 inches snow, Baltimore some 3 to  inches, Philadelphia got 5 inches and Boston as much as 14 inches.

Schools across the northeast, including all public schools in New York City, were closed on Friday.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said the winter storm warning will remain in effect across all five New York boroughs and much of the region through today.

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With heavy snow, gusts of up to 35 mph and wind chills from 5 to 15 below zero, de Blasio urged New Yorkers to exercise caution in going outdoors, refrain from any unnecessary travel and utilise public transit.

"This has been and remains a dangerous storm. It is going to be bitter cold today, and New Yorkers need to be extremely careful going outdoors. The best things people can do are to stay off the roads so we can clear them as fast as possible, and to check in on elderly and vulnerable neighbours who might need help this morning," de Blasio said.

Nearly 2,500 personnel are on the streets clearing the huge accumulation of snow. The top accumulations so far are 6.5 inches.

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High winds will continue to blow plowed snow back into the streets, requiring additional passes.

"This is nothing to be trifled with," New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said. "We have learned too well over the past few years the power of Mother Nature. We have seen the damage done."

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick urged residents to stay indoors and be aware of frostbite and hypothermia symptoms saying, "That is a very, very dangerous set of circumstances."

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About 2,000 flights were cancelled today in addition to a similar number of cancellations yesterday, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.

Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways said they were cancelling flights at Chicago's Midway International Airport and another 3,200 daily Southwest flights and 400 daily AirTran flights across the country were affected.

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