WASHINGTON

The US northeast is in the midst of a massive snowstorm Monday with some areas expected to receive up to 2 feet (60 cm) of snow. 

The Nor'easter storm has ground travel to a halt and prompted many previously scheduled COVID-19 vaccination appointments to be postponed. New York City and New Jersey declared states of emergency ahead of the storm's arrival.

The highest level of accumulation has been recorded in Bridgewater, New Jersey, and Byram, Pennsylvania, where 19 inches (48 cm) of snow has piled up, according to the National Weather Service.

The service expects as much as 2 feet (60 cm) of snow in some major metropolitan areas before the slow-moving storm clears the region, heading inland where it will continue to dump heavy amounts of snow and bring gusty winds through Wednesday.

"As the Nor'easter departs late Tuesday, we shift our focus to a pattern change coming to the Northern Plains/Upper Midwest by the weekend," the agency said on Twitter. "A lot of uncertainty remains, but most models are hinting at an arctic airmass diving south bringing well below normal temperatures. Brrrr!"

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Snowstorm in New Jersey

School buses are seen as snowfalls view in New Jersey, United States as a massive snowstorm hits the east coast on February 01, 2021.