'The storm of a generation': Jonas leaves ten dead; 8,500 flights axed; hundreds of cars stranded overnight; TWO FOOT of snow in DC and ten inches in Manhattan, as 85million are told 'stay inside!'
- 'Life-threatening' storm Jonas continues to batter the East Coast today having reached New York and New Jersey
- Thousands of flights have been cancelled while motorists in Kentucky became stranded in a 35-mile traffic jam
- One in seven Americans is expected to see half a foot of snow by Sunday while Washington could get four feet
- New York has banned all road travel, canceled all bus services, and shut overground parts of the subway
- The city is currently receiving three inches of snow an hour with up to 24 inches expected by the end of today
- Ten people have been killed nationwide in weather-related accidents, according to police departments
- Coastal flooding has been reported in New Jersey while Virginia police responded to 1,000 crashes overnight
- Do you want to send us your own pictures of Jonas? If so, email nypictures@dailymail.co.uk
The East Coast is battling 'life-threatening blizzard conditions' today as a 'once in a generation' storm continues to dump feet of snow across states from northern Georgia to New Jersey.
The National Weather Service warned that the worst is still to come for many areas as one in seven Americans could get at least half a foot of snow by Sunday, and Washington could see snowdrifts more than four feet high.
Ten states have now declared emergencies, more than 8,000 flights have been cancelled across the country, coastal flooding has been reported in New Jersey and motorists in Kentucky were stranded in a 35-mile jam for 12 hours overnight with National Guard distributing food, water and fuel.
Ten people have died in weather-related incidents around the country, with the latest coming in Maryland where a man shoveling snow was said to have suffered a heart attack before passing away.
Meanwhile forecaster Ryan Maue said he was out of words to describe how bad the storm was, adding: 'This is going to be one of those generational events, where your parents talk about how bad it was.'
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The East Coast has been blanketed by snow today as winter storm Jonas has brought up to two feet of snow to major cities while ten states have declared emergencies (pictured, Washington D.C. this morning)
Ten inches of snow fell in Manhattan this morning with up to 24 expected before the end of the day, and another 18 to come tomorrow as winter storm Jonas advanced up the East Coast
Workers struggle to keep the streets open in New York where all driving has been banned as a precautionary measure today
A man uses skis to make his way around Manhattan in near white-out conditions today as winter storm Jonas blankets the city in snow
New York has cancelled bus services, announced a ban on driving, and shut down above-ground subway services as winter storm Jonas has blanketed the city with snow
Astronaut Scott Kelly captured this image of the storm from the International Space Station showing storm Jonas moving up the coast
Meanwhile in Virginia people took pictures next to a massive pile of snow that was cleared from the roads earlier today
Workers with hand plows have been working all day in order to try and keep the streets clear of snow (pictured, Times Square)
A worker in Times Square tires to keep sidewalks open today as a deadly blizzard with bone-chilling winds and potentially record-breaking snowfall slammed the East Coast
Times Square Alliance workers shovel snow off the viewing steps as New York hunkers down under storm Jonas which hit this morning
Women make their way through Times Square in New York as storm Jonas dumps up to 24 inches of snow on to the streets
Up to ten inches of snow have been reported in Manhattan, New York (pictured), today with fresh snow falling at a rate of up to three inches per hour, forecasters said
New York has closed parts of the subway, banned all car travel and canceled bus services as Mayor Bill de Blasio called the storm one of the five worst to hit the city
Pedestrians struggle through the New York snow in Manhattan today after the city virtually shut down in the face of storm Jonas
Workers have been battling all day in attempts to keep tourist attractions such as Times Square free of snow amid blizzard conditions
In New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has closed all bus services, shut overground subway lines and announced a ban on all road traffic effective at 2.30pm after state governor Andrew Cuomo had earlier urged people to stay in their homes.
All Broadway shows have been canceled for the evening as actors and audiences were unable to make the journey to the performances.
The last time Broadway took a big weather hit was Superstorm Sandy in 2012. It darkened Broadway for four days and cost more than $8.5 million in lost revenue.
Charlotte St. Martin - president of The Broadway League, which represents producers- says: 'We expect normal operations to resume for tomorrow's Sunday matinees.'
In Virginia police said they responded to 1,000 crash reports overnight, with another 900 people reporting breakdowns, and across the country 170,000 people are now reported to be without power, with the vast majority in North and South Carolina.
A trooper in Virginia was injured Friday night while assisting a disabled vehicle on Interstate 64 in New Kent County. Geller said Trooper M.D. Jester is being treated for minor injuries in a Richmond hospital.
All bus services have been suspended in New York starting at midday today due to poor visibility, while subway services are under review.
Thundersnow, a rare phenomenon in which lightning and thunder occurs during a snowstorm, was also reported in Maryland where up to 20 inche of snow was on the ground this morning.
Speaking to CNN this morning, New Jersey governor Chris Christie said: 'We are ready to get the National Guard out for evacuations if necessary and we have shelters in every county in the state.
Snow is continuing to fall across New York today and is due to continue overnight, bringing as much as 42 inches in the next 24 hours
Winds of up to 50mph and heavy snow in Manhattan today caused near white-out conditions as storm Jonas arrived
Central park was also covered with snow today, where six inches fell in the first few hours of the morning and kept building at a rate of three inches every hour
A young woman tries to make her way out of a store in lower Manhattan earlier today before getting caught in snow
A parent and their child dragging sleds cross the road in Manhattan as a snow plow makes its way past earlier today
Pedestrians appear nearly buried in snow in New York as storm Jonas dumped up to 24 inches of snow across the city
A delivery man on a bike navigates his way through Manhattan earlier today as snow continues to fall an is due to continue overnight
'People should stay inside, not only is the weather incredibly nasty but it is helping us keep roads passable. We have two to three inches falling an hour. Please stay inside, please don't drive today.'
In Kentucky drivers have been stuck in a 35-mile traffic jam for up to 12 hours along Interstate 75 after several cars became stuck, with the National Guard delivering food, water and fuel to motorists and removing cars one by one.
The National Weather Service says that in nearly two dozen places, the amount of snow has already passed the 20-inch mark, with a full day of more snow to come.
The accumulation totals come Saturday morning as a storm treks across the country.
Not all the totals are official weather stations, but one spot in Terra Alta, West Virginia, hit 28 inches, while Oakland, Maryland, accumulated 2 feet.
The weather service's storm tracking page reported that on the Eastern Shore, Dewey Beach, Delaware, and Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, recorded hurricane-force 75 mph winds.
District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser says up to 13 inches of snow have fallen in Washington, but officials are asking residents to stay off the streets as the second half of the storm moves through.
Bowser said Saturday in a news conference that people should not be driving or walking in the streets.
Bowser told residents: 'We need you to stay home.'
Bowser says the visibility is poor and people walking in the streets are not easily seen. Officials say there are no reported fatalities so far. Officials say they expect another possible 10 inches of snow as well as high winds.
Times Square, which is usually filled with tourists at all hours, was virtually deserted today as workers tried to clear the snow away
City staff struggled to keep sidewalks open as snow fell at rates of up to three inches per hour throughout most of today
The storm is expected to continue overnight with another 18 inches of snow due tomorrow, on top of the 24 inches predicted today
All non-underground subway stations have been closed today after snowfall in New York made them unsafe (pictured, Colombia Circle)
Michelle Fox plays with her dogs Peaches, jumping, and Annie as snow continues to pile up in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
A worker cleans snow off the platform at the Metro North Train station in Greenwich, Connecticut, where heavy snow fell today
Bryan Gold skis down 13th Street in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington earlier today as it looked almost certain that the state will break its all-time snow record with two feet having already fallen in some places
A man walks in Greenwich, Connecticut, amid heavy snowfall across the East Coast that is expected to last for the rest of the weekend
A face on the memorial to Judge John Handley, Handley High School benefactor, peers out through the more than 16 inches of blowing snow that has fallen in Winchester, Virginia, today
Millions of Americans are battling with the elements today as Jonas brought hurricane-force winds and feet of snow to ten states
A homeless man walks on snow covered 14th street North West in Washington earlier today as the area was battered by snow
More than 85million Americans affected by the storm have been advised to keep their homes accessible during the storm in case emergency crews need to enter (pictured, a woman attempts to dig her car out of the snow in Washington)
City employees have been working to keep sidewalks and roads open in Washington D.C. as the snow continued for a second day
Uniform secret service officers push a police car that is stuck in front of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington D.C.
In Washington D.C. there is more than a foot of snow on the ground today while two feet is possible before Sunday, making it the worst snowfall the city has ever received
Workers in Washington D.C. have been working frantically today to try and keep roads and sidewalks open as snow continues to fall for the second day, and will not stop until Sunday
People walk and bike down Broad Street in Philadelphia, just one of the major East Coast cities covered with a blanket of snow today
A woman uses snowshoes to walk in front of the eisenhower executive office building during the snow storm on in Washington today
Ten-year-old local Hayes Reger sleds around on the West Front Lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building earlier today
Dan Rafalin, left, lifts his daughter, Delila Rafalin, 5, while playing in heavy snowfall with their family on Independence Mall in Philadelphia
A soldier with the 275th Military Police company in a Humvee stops on I-395 as they assist a stranded motorist in the snow in Washington
Traffic has been at a standstill for hours now on the Pennsylvania Turnpike stranding hundreds of motorists in the snow
National Guard have been on hand to distribute water, food and fuel to the stranded drivers as the snow continues to fall
A woman takes pictures of snow covered cars in Washington D.C. today which has seen more than two feet of snow fall in parts
Storm Jonas had left the East Coast covered with a think blanket of snow today as it hovers over the East Coast of the United States
A girl tries to cross snow covered 15th street North West in Downtown Washington which has been covered in feet of snow today
Police Chief Cathy Lanier says even people with four wheel drive vehicles are getting stuck. Bowser again emphasized: 'Please stay home.'
About 150,000 North Carolina homes and businesses are shuddering in the cold after ice and strong winds caused power outages.
The State Highway Patrol warned motorists Saturday to stay off roads that were coated with invisible sheets of ice. Troopers had responded to more than 2,000 crashes since icy conditions moved in on Wednesday. At least five storm-related deaths are reported in the state.
The heaviest power outages were south of Raleigh. Officials warned statewide that sustained winds of 20 miles an hour Saturday threatened to rip down ice-coated power lines.
Most flights in and out of Raleigh-Durham's airport were canceled, but American Airlines' second-busiest hub in Charlotte was open.
Gov. Pat McCrory urged fans to stay home rather than attend Saturday's rivalry game between Duke University and North Carolina State University in Raleigh.
Authorities in Maryland say a man shoveling snow has died after an apparent heart attack as a blizzard dumps snow across much of the U.S., bringing the total number of deaths from the storm to at least 10 nationwide.
Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department spokesman Mark Brady says paramedics were called to the Fort Washington area around 10 a.m. Saturday for a report of a 60-year-old man who was shoveling and appeared to have a heart attack. Brady says medics were not able to revive the man and he died. His name wasn't released.
A couple walks in blowing snow in Alexandria, Virginia, this afternoon as storm Jonas continues to batter the East Coast
A plow clears the parking lot at the Rutters Farm Store along the Susquehanna Trail in York, Pennsylvania, today
Chase Coble works a snow shovel on West Washington Street as city crews worked to clear downtown streets and sidewalks in the aftermath of the winter storm today
Issabella Rickman slides down a hill on a sled during a blizzard in Arlington, Virginia on January 23, 2016. A deadly blizzard with bone-chilling winds and potentially record-breaking snowfall slammed the eastern US on Saturday
Brady had just sent out an advisory warning of the potential for heart attacks while shoveling. He urged people over 50 and those with heart conditions to get someone else to do the job, noting that the amount of snowfall associated with this storm will be particularly challenging to shovel.
New York City's expected total was upped Friday to 18 to 24 inches. But Sullivan said 'the winds are going to be the real problem; that's when we'll see possible power outages.'
Snow was forecast to start falling in New York at around 4am today, but the first flakes actually fell at around 10pm yesterday, with a steady snowfall across Manhattan by 11pm.
The result could create snowdrifts four to five feet high, so even measuring it for records could be difficult, he said.
By evening, wet, heavy snow was falling in the capital, making downed power lines more likely, and yet many people remained on the roads, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said. 'Find a safe place and stay there,' she beseeched.
Anyone trying to travel in this mess risks getting stuck for hours, marooned in odd places, or killed, authorities warned.
At least 10 people died in storm-related crashes before the worst of the storm, including Stacy Sherrill, whose car plummeted off an icy road in Tennessee. Her husband survived after climbing for hours up a 300-foot embankment.
'They're slipping and sliding all over the place,' said Kentucky State Police Trooper Lloyd Cochran — as soon as one wreck was cleared, other cars slammed into each other, causing gridlock for hours on interstate highways.
A man died in southeastern Kentucky when his car collided with a salt truck Thursday, state police said. Billy R. Stevens, 59, of Williamsburg was pronounced dead at the scene on state Route 92 in Whitley County. Two passengers were being treated at a hospital.
In addition, a four-year-old boy in North Carolina died Friday afternoon after the pickup truck carrying his family on Interstate 77 near Troutman spun out of control and crashed, said State Highway Patrol Sgt. Michael Baker.
The Ford pickup carrying two adults and their three children all under eight years old slammed into a tow truck working to haul out a vehicle that had run off the highway earlier, Baker said. Troopers say the boy was restrained in a child seat and died as a result of the impact.
Motorists also were reported stranded along pockets of the Pennsylvania Turnpike near the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel in Somerset County. The National Guard was called to help, said Pennsylvania Turnpike spokesman Carl DeFebo.
Skip Hampton pulls his 22 month old son Purcell along West Market Street, with his wife Sarah, after a morning of sledding on a nearby hill in North Carolina, while Refugio Cortes fills up on kerosene, which he and his wife use to heat their home
Reece Davis, left, helps Scott Bailey dig out after getting stuck at SecurCare Self Storage on West Wendover Avenue in North Carolina
A man makes his way through the snow, Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016 in the Georgetown area of Washington
A man uses cross country skies as he goes down M Street NW in the snow, Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016 in the Georgetown area of Washington
A pedestrian waits to cross the street as a truck carrying a load of snow passes in front on the National Mall in Washington
In the Washington metro area, nearly 2 feet of snow was on the ground by Saturday morning. The federal government closed its offices at noon Friday, and all mass transit was to be shut down through Sunday. President Barack Obama was one of many who stayed home.
In Silver Spring, Maryland, about 20 inches of snow had fallen by daybreak.
Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. Plows cleared a heavily traveled road for ambulances and trucks, but few other vehicles were moving. A couple of intrepid people walked along the cleared portion of the road, ducking into the deeper snow when vehicles approached.
Other states that got more than 6 inches included Delaware, Georgia, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia. Parts of Georgia and Alabama received 1 to 3.5 inches.
In New Jersey, 40,000 people were without power early Saturday, most of them along the coast.
In North Carolina a Good Samaritan was allegedly shot and killed by the very man he tried to help after he saw a car spin out on an icy road on Friday afternoon.
Marvin Jacob Lee, 27, has been charged with the murder of Jefferson Heavner. Police said he struck Lee once and then stood over his body and shot him 'numerous times'.
Heavner, 26, was among a group of people, including neighbors and a passing truck, who went to help when they saw a car spin out and become stuck on a Catawba County road around 5.20pm.
The group then decided to call police for assistance when Lee became belligerent, according to Sheriff Coy Reid.
'They thought he was drunk or on dope and said "Let's just call the law and let them deal with it'", Reid told The Charlotte Observer.
A snowman wearing the jacket of a local bakery stands on the street in Washington DC which has seen feet of snow fall in 24 hours
People carrying umbrellas walk in the snow past the White House where at least ten inches of snow has fallen in the last few hours
Dumper trucks were brought to the streets in Washington to help deal with the feet of snow that has fallen since yesterday
Two people use cross country skis to get around the snow in front of the U.S. Capitol earlier today
Jared Meyer of Chattanooga, Tenn., digs out his car from the snow, Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016 in Arlington, Virginia
When Lee heard them calling the police he took out an automatic pistol and began shooting at the group, who tried to run away, authorities said.
Police said Lee returned to his car, which was still stuck, after he struck Lee once and then shot him again multiple times.
Officers arrived on the scene and demanded Lee to get out of the car. When he did not a SWAT team arrived and found that he was passed out, according to Reid.
Lee woke up as he was being physically pulled out of the car by SWAT members and tried to resist, Reid said.
He has since been charged with murder. The shooting remains under investigation, according to WSOC.
Even before the snow began to fall Friday afternoon, states of emergency were declared. Lawmakers went home, and schools, government offices and transit systems closed early from Georgia to New York.
The ice and snow made travel treacherous, with thousands of accidents and at least nine deaths reported along the region's roadways. By late Friday, Virginia State Police had reported 989 crashes statewide and had assisted nearly 800 disabled vehicles, police spokesman Ken Schrad said.
The NHL postponed Sunday's game between the Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins because of the severe snowstorm in the Washington area.
The league on Saturday did not announce a makeup date.
This is the third game postponed in Washington because of the storm, following the Capitals' game against the Anaheim Ducks and the NBA game between the Wizards and Utah Jazz.
The Penguins next play against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday and the Capitals against the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday.
Duquesne University's men's basketball team was stuck overnight on the snow-closed Pennsylvania Turnpike as traffic stoppages stretched back miles in a massive snowstorm climbing up the East Coast.
Coach Jim Ferry said the team bus got stuck around 9:15 p.m. on Friday and hadn't moved since.
'We haven't moved one inch in 12 hours,' he said on Saturday morning.
Ferry said his players are running out of the leftover pizza they bought on the way home from an 86-75 win over George Mason on Friday.
'We're getting pretty hungry,' he said. 'We hope it starts moving pretty soon.'
The basketball team's Twitter account, Duquesne Basketball, tweeted Saturday: 'Update: a fire department has arrived with cases of water for all stranded vehicles, including our bus.'
However, for the passengers on a cruise ship heading back to snowy Baltimore from the Bahamas, one more day at sea doesn't seem such a bad idea.
The Maryland Department of Transportation said Friday that a blizzard means the port won't be ready for the Royal Caribbean International's Grandeur of the Seas until Monday.
The ship was to return Sunday from an eight-day trip to the Bahamas, said Cynthia Martinez, a Royal Caribbean spokeswoman. But plans changed after forecasters said the storm could dump more than 2 feet of snow.
Meg Ryan of Hamilton, New Jersey, one of the cruise ship's passengers, said she learned about 1 p.m. Friday of the postponement from the cruise line's website.
'I was not totally surprised and, frankly, happy to be delayed,' Ryan wrote in an email to The Associated Press. 'First, it is an extra day of vacation, but more importantly, safety comes first and travel Sunday would be difficult, if not impossible.'
Ryan, 51, is an assistant manager of a luggage store in New Jersey. She is also a Master Cruise Counsellor, a certification from the trade organization Cruise Lines International Association. She works with a company called eCruisenet, which provides consulting services to passengers planning trips. Ryan said she was traveling with a group of eCruisenet clients.
Ryan said she expected the cruise line will have activities to entertain passengers, and the shops and casino will be open, 'ready to separate guests from their money.'
On the downside, Ryan said passengers were trying to rebook transportation from Baltimore to their homes. Also, the Grandeur of the Seas was to begin another cruise Sunday to the western Caribbean, so a fresh set of passengers will grapple with a delay. Ryan said the cruise line was helping passengers returning to Baltimore with free calls and Internet access; she took a photo of a line of people waiting to make calls.
Still, an on-board indoor solarium and pool presented an idyllic contrast to what awaited Ryan at home.
'I will return to Hamilton (near Trenton), N.J., to 2 feet of snow, and probably an irate cat, who I am sure will not be happy that I am delayed,' she wrote.
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