Shovelling snow across North America

Chicago has come to a frozen halt. Photo / Thinkstock

Americans and Canadians are digging themselves out after a monster winter snowstorm that crippled air and road transport, closed schools and destroyed buildings, but the freezing conditions are set to continue.

Temperatures across the Midwest are expected to fall below -34C.

The storm, which started in Texas and dumped half a metre of snow more than 3000km away in Nova Scotia on Canada's east coast, was blamed for at least 12 deaths.

It dumped nearly 60cm of snow on Chicago and brought the typically tough city to a frozen halt.

Chicago schools were closed for a second day in a row yesterday as authorities tried to clear abandoned cars from snow-clogged roads, while in eastern Canada schools and business were also shut down.

The Tulsa World newspaper reported that three people died yesterday in Oklahoma when their vehicle ran off a snowy bridge into a river.

Agriculture officials blamed the snow for the collapse of a farm building in Hartford, Connecticut, killing 85,000 egg-laying hens.

Air traffic was still affected yesterday, with 2502 United States flights cancelled, including 402 from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, one of the nation's busiest.

- AGENCIES