People walk through deep snow in New York during a snowstorm, February 12, 2006. (Xinhua photo)

     BEIJING, Feb. 13 (Xinhuanet) -- A major snowstorm swept the northeastern United States on Sunday, shutting down air travel from Boston to Washington and blanketing New York City with the deepest snowfall in its history.

    As much as 24.8 inches of snow fell in New York's Central Park, only two inches shy of the city's worst blizzard on December 26, 1947, which killed 77 people, according to the National Weather Service and city archives.

    And in a rare display, lightning lit up the falling snow before dawn in the New York and Philadelphia areas.

    "This is a dangerous storm," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said as he urged people to stay at home.

A major snowstorm swept the northeastern United States on Sunday, blanketing New York City with the deepest snowfall in its history.(Xinhua/AFP photo)

    Wind gusting as high as 60 mph blew the snow sideways and raised a risk of coastal flooding in New England.

    As much as 21.3 inches had fallen in Columbia, Maryland and 19 inches in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania, according to Accuweather.

    Some 70,000 homes were without power in the Washington area and another 70,000 were without power in the Baltimore area. according to media reports.

    New York's busy La Guardia Airport, Newark International in New Jersey and Reagan National in Washington DC were closed, said the federal aviation administration.

    Other key airports were cancelling hundreds of flights, according to media reports.

    A blizzard warning was issued for the metropolitan New York City area and much of the northeast by the national weather service.

    New York City had more than 2,500 snow ploughs and salt spreaders at work, along with snow-melting machines that could dispose of up to 60 tonnes of snow per hour, officials said.

    (Agencies)

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