Record snowfall hits Boston, cancels flights

[NEW YORK] A third winter storm in two weeks paralyzed parts of the northeastern United States on Monday, cancelling hundreds of flights and shutting down schools and public buildings in Boston.

The storm is expected to dump up to two feet (60 centimeters) of snow in Boston, which The Boston Globe newspaper said had already seen the highest 30-day total of snow in recorded history.

The newspaper said more than 61 inches (1.5 meters) had fallen in the city by Monday, surpassing the total of 58.8 inches set in 1978.

More than 1,840 flights were cancelled on Monday, including 70 per cent of flights at Boston Logan airport and 55 per cent from New York's LaGuardia airport, the FlightAware website said.

Schools were closed and non-essential employees ordered to stay home in Boston, again suspending jury selection in the terrorism trial of 2013 Marathon bombings suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

The National Weather Service said winter storm warnings remained in effect for much of the northeast, from Delaware to southern Maine.

It predicted another nearly 20 inches of snow will fall in North Weymouth and Norwell in Massachusetts, and more than 12 inches in Boston and Amsterdam in New York state on Sunday and Monday.

AFP