New York state is facing another huge snowstorm, which could leave some areas under more than eight feet (2.5m) of snow by Friday.
At least seven people are known to have died so far - four from heart attacks - and hundreds were trapped in their homes or vehicles after a first blast of snow hit the north east of the United States.
Forecasters are also warning that after the next massive dumping of snow, temperatures could rise rapidly over the weekend and this, combined with rain, could quickly melt the snow and create a risk of dangerous flooding.
A state of emergency has been declared in Buffalo after six feet (1.8m) of snow swept into the city from across Lake Erie.
Families who opened their doors to find themselves sealed in their homes by walls of the white stuff have been trying to dig themselves out even as the next storm heading their way threatens to break records.
New York's Governor Andrew Cuomo said: "This is an historic event. When all is said and done, this snowstorm will break all sorts of records."
The storm trapped more than 100 vehicles along a 132-mile (212km) stretch of the New York State Thruway, the state's main highway that was closed on Wednesday.
Stuck on their team bus for nearly 30 hours, the Niagara University women's basketball team melted snow for water, posed for pictures that were posted online and tried to keep each other's spirits up.
Tiffany Corselli, a member of the team, told Sky News they ate granola bars and pretzels to keep going after a journey that should have taken three-and-a-half hours turned into an ordeal.
She said: "In the beginning we was all joyful but as the hours started going we got tired."
Bethany Hojnacki went into labour at the height of the storm and ended up giving birth in a Buffalo fire station after she and her husband could not get to the hospital.
Their baby Lucy weighed in at 6lbs, 2oz (3.3kg). Mother and child were later taken to hospital in an ambulance.
Buffalo residents captured stunning footage of the "lake-effect" snowstorm rolling into the city and drone footage of neighbourhoods carpeted in white after it hit.
The wall of snow phenomenon was created by what is known as the "lake effect".
That is when icy winds meet the warmer waters of a lake causing a snow cloud to explode out of the water vapour.
Gov Cuomo said people were stuck in their cars for so long because a broken down trailer prevented ploughs from removing snow in the early stages of the storm.
He said it would take four or five days to clean up after the storm - which is likely to see a year's worth of snow fall in a week in the Buffalo area.
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