Snow began falling on the eastern United States in what was forecast to be the second major snow storm in less than five days as the federal government was ordered shuttered for a third day Wednesday, dpa reported.
Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia were still digging out from a massive storm that dumped up to a metre of snow in some areas over the weekend.
The newest storm - bearing up to 45 centimetres of snow - had already created major rush hour delays in snow-hardened Chicago Tuesday morning, and was expected to arrive in full force on the East Coast after midnight, AccuWeather reported. High winds were also expected to create blizzard conditions.
The National Weather Service said the storm had left across the Midwest and even as far south as Alabama and Texas, where snow rarely falls.
The storm's final destinations include Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York and Boston - all told, about 100 million people, or nearly one-third of the US population.
The new blanket of chill will fall on top of near record 45-to-97- centimetre snowfalls over the weekend that paralysed the mid-Atlantic region from Washington to Philadelphia.
Plane and train schedules were barely resuming on Tuesday, and many suburban neighbourhoods in Washington and elsewhere still had not seen a snowplough to clear the first layer of snow.
Grocery shelves emptied out fast on Tuesday as people began venturing out to brace for more inclement weather, but meat and produce departments struggled to keep up with demand.
In Arlington, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, a 2.5-metre-tall snowman stood at an intersection near Washington and Lee High School, which has not opened its doors since Thursday's dismissal. On Tuesday afternoon, a few hours before the latest snow started falling, the snowman held a sign declaring "The end is near."
The Washington Metro transit system resumed service to above- ground stations on Tuesday, but soon announced they would close again Wednesday.
Even for riders travelling just a few stations downtown, a normal 20-minute commute turned into an hour-long struggle as they waited 40 minutes and more for trains. One rider said people stood head-in- neighbour's armpit.
The mood however was upbeat, as riders congratulated themselves on getting to work and claimed boasting rights over federal workers who had stayed at home.
A major factor in the federal government's extreme decision to close offices is whether public transit can handle the traffic.
Tens of thousands of customers remained without power in the Washington region on Tuesday, and some sought warmth in local government shelters while others bunked in with friends and family.
Second large snow storm in week bearing down on US Mid-Atlantic
Snow began falling on the eastern United States in what was forecast to be the second major snow storm in less than five days as the federal government was ordered shuttered for a third day Wednesday.
