Residents struggling to cope with record snowfall are warned an impending thaw may unleash devastating floods
Record snowstorms have buried parts of the northeastern US under a year's worth of snow in three days, paralysing the area and being blamed for 10 deaths.
The Buffalo area and surrounding parts of New York state saw 2.4m (8ft) of snow, which has made roads impassable and caused roofs to bulge and buckle under the strain.
Hundreds were trapped in their homes or vehicles after the first blast hit, and state of emergency was declared in Buffalo after six-foot (1.8m) drifts swept into the city from across Lake Erie.
Families who opened their doors to find themselves sealed in their homes by walls of the white stuff have been trying to dig
themselves out.
Roof collapses were reported around the region, and more than 50 people had to be evacuated from several mobile home parks because roofs were giving way.
The storm trapped more than 100 vehicles along a 132-mile (212km) stretch of the New York State Thruway, the state's main highway that was closed on Wednesday.
Stuck on their team bus for nearly 30 hours, the Niagara University women's basketball team melted snow for water, posed for pictures that were posted online and tried to keep each other's spirits up.
Tiffany Corselli, a member of the team, told Sky News they ate granola bars and pretzels to keep going after a journey that should have taken three-and-a-half hours turned into an ordeal.
She said: "In the beginning we was all joyful but as the hours started going we got tired."
Resident Bethany Hojnacki went into labour at the height of the storm and ended up giving birth in a Buffalo fire station after she and her husband could not get to the hospital.
Buffalo residents captured stunning footage of the "lake effect" snowstorm rolling into the city and drone footage of neighbourhoods carpeted in white after it hit.
The wall of snow phenomenon is created when icy winds meet the warmer waters of a lake, causing a snow cloud to explode out of the water vapour.
Mr Cuomo said people were stuck in their cars for so long because a broken down trailer prevented ploughs from removing snow in the early stages of the storm.
He warned drivers to stay off slippery, car-clogged roads.
The NFL moved the Buffalo Bills' home game against the New York Jets to Monday night in Detroit.
Sky News weather presenter Isobel Lang said: "The next concern will be the effects of a large temperature swing during the weekend. The warmer air will bring rain and the risk of rapid snowmelt and flooding.
"Another threat is from collapsed roofs with rain adding to the weight of already fallen snow."
Sky News
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