The U.S. is shivering in the grips of a freezing winter with 49 of its 50 states now having snow on the ground.

Two winter storms have dumped several inches of snow in some states and left flights grounded from Texas to the Carolinas.

The only state to avoid the icy conditions was Florida, but even the Sunshine State suffered flight cancellations due to heavy fog.

google weather map,snow covers us
© GoogleFreezing: Only Florida, in the extreme southeast, has so far escaped snow fall as two storms cover virtually the whole of the U.S.
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© Getty ImagesBig freeze: Ice hangs from railings along Lake Michigan, Chicago, after plummeting temperatures and strong winds covered the shoreline
New York and Boston were braced for more heavy snow today after one storm was forecast to dump up to a foot on the northeast of the U.S.

Southern states also experienced unusual snow fall, with motorists left stuck in Atlanta due to a shortage of clearing equipment.

The storm began in Texas and is heading north east towards New York, which was badly hit by snow just two weeks ago.

So far 11 deaths have been blamed on the weather and schools and other institutions were expected to remain closed today as icy conditions continued.

Even Hawaii has experienced snow fall on the slopes of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, which takes place every winter.

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© AFP/Getty ImagesChill: Snow falls in Detroit, Michigan, and visibility was badly reduced as the storm worked its way north east
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© Getty ImagesWindy city? Ice even covers the shore of Lake Michigan as temperatures dropped well below freezing
The second winter storm began in the Midwest, and is expected to also move east where it could combine with the other storm as it hits the northeast.

Forecasters have predicted Boston will get between 12 and 16 inches; Hartford in Connecticut will get between 15 and 20 inches; New York between six and 12 inches; Philadelphia between four and six inches and Washington D.C. two to four inches of snow.

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino declared a snow emergency last night, which bans parking on all major streets and cancels public schools.

More than 3,500 flights were cancelled yesterday from Atlanta, Chicago and Boston, and more were expected to go today.

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© ReutersNot again: A man clears snow from his car in Hoboken, New Jersey. The area is expected to be hit by heavy snow later today
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© ReutersBraced: Madison Square Gardens is obscured by snow fall in New York. Thousands of flights have already been cancelled
The winter storm which badly affected New York over the Christmas holidays saw more than 10,000 flights cancelled.

Sanitation Department workers were also heavily criticised for the speed of the clear up and it later emerged many had been told to work slowly due to a dispute over department cuts.

Airlines were hoping to make less cancellations as flights are less busy making it easier to rebook stranded passengers.