New York snow: Mayor De Blasio defends snow warnings
New York City's mayor has responded to claims officials overreacted to the threat posed by a major winter storm, saying: "We dodged a bullet."
As New York awoke to a blanket of snow less deep than feared, forecasts were downgraded and a transport ban was lifted in the city.
But there has been heavy snow across the northeast US, with more than 2ft (60cm) in Massachusetts alone.
Blizzard warnings remain along the coast from Long Island to Maine.
Speaking to CNN, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said: "This is a better-safe-than-sorry scenario."
He added: "We did what was necessary to keep everyone safe."
Blizzard warnings for New York City and New Jersey have been lifted, with some public transport resuming in New York.
A teenage boy was killed in a sledging accident on Long lsland, one of the worst-affected parts of New York state.
On Monday an emergency was declared in a swathe of north-eastern states, and meteorologists predicted up to 90cm (36in) of snow. Officials later revised the snow forecasts but the emergencies remain in place.
Boston also imposed a travel ban, and subway systems in New York and Boston were suspended.
The heaviest snowfall has been reported in Connecticut and Massachusetts, which saw 52cm (20.5in) and 67cm (26.2in) respectively, compared to the 13cm (5.5in) seen in New York's Central Park.
Thousands of people are without power in Massachusetts, local media reported.
The National Weather Service (NWS) is still warning of potentially life-threatening conditions along the New England coast, as the storm heads north into Canada.
"The wind here is tremendous, it's difficult to see very far out the window," said Christie Craigheard in New Hampshire, another of the affected areas.
In other developments:
- 7,500 flights in and out of airports along the East Coast have been cancelled
- Schools across the region remain closed
- Public transport is expected to be back to normal in New York by Wednesday
The NWS had previously warned that a "potentially historic blizzard" was approaching the north-east.
But the blizzard appeared less severe than expected on Tuesday morning, with snowfall levels ranging from 2.5cm (1in) in Washington DC to 38cm (15in) at New York State's Islip airport at 03:00 local time (08:00 GMT).
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