Heavy snow blankets US east coast

A major blizzard has blanketed swaths of the US east coast with nearly half a meter of snow, and is now moving northwards. The snow storm has been blamed for at least five deaths, and for crippling transportation.

Snow covers a street in Brooklyn, New York December 20, 2009. Heavy snowfall blanketed the East Coast on Saturday, disrupting public transport and air travel, and hampering holiday shoppers on the last weekend before Christmas. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

People were wishing for a white Christmas, but not like this...

Over 1,200 flights at three major airports in the New York metropolitan area have been cancelled, despite clear conditions on the runways.

Thousands of passengers were forced to sleep inside airport terminals, as they braced for the long wait.

Private Mitchell from US Army said, "I'm trying to get out of here and see my family before I have to come back. I don't know right now, my family is really looking forward to seeing me but right now I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to get out of here any time soon."