This satellite image by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shows the front across the US Northeast. Picture: AP

The blizzard warning has been lifted as of 8am (11pm AEDT) on Tuesday and replaced with a winter weather advisory for snow and sleet that will be in effect until 8pm, according to the National Weather Service.

The expected accumulation is expected to be between 10cms-20cms – far less than the original forecasts of up to 60cms – as the snow changes to sleet and then rain by midday, the weather service said.

The rain is expected to turn back to snow before ending Tuesday evening.

The National Weather Service had issued blizzard warnings for parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont.

Men plough snow at the Times Square during snowstorm Stella in New York. Picture: AFPSource:AFP

The storm was expected to dump 12 to 18 inches (30cms to 45cms) of snow on the New York City metro area with wind gusts of up to 88km/h.

An updated wind advisory is in effect until 6pm (9am AEDT).

Winds from the northeast will be about 56km/h, according to the National Weather Service.

The weather service’s office near Philadelphia had called the storm “life-threatening” and warned people to “shelter in place.”

Coastal flood warnings were still in effect from Massachusetts to Delaware.

According to the airline-tracking website FlightAware, more than 5000 flights had been cancelled, including more than 2800 in the New York City area, where about 200 passengers were stranded at John F. Kennedy airport.

Amtrak also cancelled and modified service up and down the Northeast Corridor.

About 34 cars were involved in two pile-ups in Chicago with seven people sustaining minor injuries.

In New York City, the above-ground portions of the subway system were shut down.

In the nation’s capital, the US Office of Personnel Management announced a three-hour delayed arrival for non-emergency employees at area federal offices — with an option of unscheduled leave or telework. Emergency employees of the federal government in the Washington, DC, area were to report on time unless otherwise directed.

The 'Fearless Girl' statue stands in the snow in the early morning hours in New York’s Financial District. Picture: GettySource:AFP

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo had declared a state of emergency for all of New York’s 62 counties, including New York City’s five boroughs.

The Democrat also directed non-essential state employees to stay home from work as authorities advised people to stay off the roads.

People walk along a snow-covered lakefront near downtown Chicago. Picture: GettySource:AFP

In Massachusetts, where forecasts called for 30cms-45cms of snow, Governor Charlie Baker encouraged motorists to stay off the roads and to take public transit only if absolutely necessary. The fast snowfall rates will “create hazardous driving conditions across the Commonwealth,” he said.

Schools in New York City, Philadelphia, Boston and elsewhere were all closed.

Juan Castro, of Pittsburg, California, waited at a hotel by the World Trade Center for his pre-dawn ride to a hospital where his sister was having surgery.

The hospital had assured his family that the procedure would go on despite the weather. He was layered up and wore boots he’d bought just for the storm.

Mr Castro, a pastor, reasoned that the weather was OK with him.

“It’s beautiful,” he said as the snow swirled on a Lower Manhattan street. “You’ve got to be positive.”

Bank teller Jana White said her plans for riding out the storm included “lots of hot chocolate and a couple of sappy movies.”

“It’s a reminder that winter is always ready to take shot at you, so you have to stay prepared,” the 23-year-old Trenton, New Jersey, resident said. “We’ve got food and snacks and drinks, so as long as the power stays on we should be in good shape.”

In Maryland, Governor Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency and urged residents not to be lulled into a false sense of security due to the mild winter.

“This is a serious winter storm,” Gov. Hogan said, adding that some parts of the state could see over a foot of snow. “It’s obviously going to be the biggest event we’ve had this season and people need to be prepared. They need to be safe.”

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf said that approximately 700 National Guard members would be deployed, along with more than 2000 snow ploughs to keep up with the storm that was expected to bring 30cms or more of snow to some parts of the state.

A man makes his way at the Times Square during a snowstorm in New York. Picture: AFPSource:AFP

The NWS said the dividing line between snow and a wintry mix had moved farther inland, through southern New Jersey into Philadelphia, cutting anticipated snow totals, but increasing the chance of icing. But parts of the Lehigh Valley and Poconos, north and west of Philadelphia, had white-out conditions due to blowing snow.

In Illinois, state police say snowy weather caused two crashes on a Chicago expressway that involved a total of 34 cars. A State Police spokesman says seven people sustained minor injuries in Monday night’s pileup on the Kennedy Expressway. Both wrecks occurred in the express lanes of the highway on the city’s North Side.

The nor’easter comes a week after the region saw temperatures climb to almost 20C. Spring officially starts on March 20.