Heavy snowstorm hits US northeast, disrupts air traffic

, Jan 22: A huge snowstorm hit most of the US northeast on Tuesday, causing cancellations or delays of over 2,000 domestic and international flights.

According to the National Weather Service, the snowstorm will produce moderate to heavy snow with dropping temperatures in the area. The snow storm is expected to end by Wednesday evening, Xinhua reported.

The storm is expected to bring a maximum 30 cm snowfall with a temperature drop of about 5 degrees centigrade.

It also warned that scattered snow falls and temperature drop will hit mid-west and the Great Lakes during the week.

Many schools in New Jersey, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. were already closed ahead of the snow storm. Closures like this will be widespread if the heavy snow continues to ensure students' safety.

Government staff in areas affected by the snowstorm were told to stay home on Tuesday for an extra day after the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday on Monday.

The snow storm, together with storms elsewhere in other parts of the country in the past weeks, is early by the US standards, causing inconvenience to residents as well as disruption to road and air traffic.

IANS