A mix of snow and ice bore down on the US northeast, disrupting post-Christmas airline traffic and prompting officials in New York and New Jersey to issue weather emergency declarations even as the storm ebbed by mid-morning local time.
People in much of the northeast were advised to stay off the roads because of treacherous conditions, with states of emergency declared in New York and New Jersey.
"The safety of New Yorkers is my top priority, and I continue to urge extreme caution throughout the duration of this storm," New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement.
At the moment flights from Ireland are unaffected but airport operators at Dublin and Shannon airports advised passengers to check with their airlines. A spokesperson for Dublin Airport said that US bound flights were departing on time.
Watch: Winter storm dumps heavy snow, treacherous ice on northeast US
By early today, 15 to 25cm of snow had fallen across an area from Syracuse in central New York to Long Island in the southeast of the state, as well as Connecticut, said Bob Oravec, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center near Washington, DC.
New York City received 5cm to 10cm of snow overnight, with 10.9cm reported at Central Park, Mr Oravec said, the most since 2022.
"The good news is that the heaviest snow is done," he said. "Only a few flurries remain this morning and those will taper off by the afternoon."
But the effects were being felt by travellers.
More than 14,400 domestic US flights were cancelled or delayed, with the majority in the New York area, including at John F Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport, according to the tracking site FlightAware.
Another 2,100 international flights that had been scheduled to depart or land in the US were cancelled, FlightAware reported.
Representatives from American Airlines, United Airlines and JetBlue Airways said that the carriers had waived change fees normally charged to rebook for passengers whose travel plans may be affected by weather-related disruptions.
Representatives from American Airlines, United Airlines and JetBlue Airways told Reuters those carriers had waived change fees normally charged to re-book for passengers whose travel plans may be affected by weather-related disruptions.
"We are continuing to monitor the situation, and passengers are advised to check directly with their airlines for the latest flight updates," the spokesperson said.
Ice storm warnings and winter weather advisories were also posted for most of Pennsylvania and much of Massachusetts.
New Jersey and Pennsylvania issued commercial vehicle restrictions for some roads, including many interstate highways.
"This storm will cause dangerous road conditions and impact holiday travel," New Jersey's acting governor Tahesha Way said in a statement.
"We are urging travellers to avoid travel during the storm and allow crews to tend to roads."
