Four dead and more than 100 stranded in cars and buses in the wake of huge snow storm that dumped five feet of snow around the Great Lakes amid plunging temperatures nationwide

• Local authorities reported four deaths in Erie County, New York - one from a car crash and three from heart attacks
• Two of the heart attack victims were shoveling through snow drifts when they died
• Emergency services were also trying to rescue 150 stranded vehicles on roadways around worst-hit areas
• Communities bordering the Great Lakes were hit with five feet of snow in places - with more set to fall
• All 50 states recorded temperatures below freezing Tuesday as polar weather plunged south

By Kieran Corcoran for MailOnline

Published: 00:02 EST, 19 November 2014 | Updated: 00:03 EST, 19 November 2014

Four people died during a huge snowstorm that dumped five feet of snow in parts of the country and stranded more than 100 people overnight on impassable roads.

The enormous flurries pummeling areas around the Great Lakes, and particularly upstate New York, claimed their first victims today, according to local authorities.

A car accident killed one person, while three more died of heart attacks in Erie County, New York, which has been swamped by several feet of snow. Officials said two of the heart attack victims were shoveling through the area's huge snowdrifts when they died.

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Stranded and killed: Four people died in enormous snowstorms in upstate New York today, while 150 vehicles also had to be rescued

Help: Emergency services were out in force as they attempted to save drivers and passengers who were stranded for as long as 24 hours by the bad weather

Heart attacks: Officials in Erie County, New York, said that two people had died from heart attacks while shoveling snow

Stranded: This driver in Grand Rapids, Michigan, cleans her car off in the hope of keeping on despite huge quantities of snow falling

Roads were closed amid the rapid downpour, which covered Buffalo, New York, in four feet of snow in a matter of hours. Rescue services counted 150 vehicles that were left stranded, including a bus carrying a university basketball team that was stuck for 17 hours.

By late Tuesday night, many - but not all - had been freed. Some motorists had had been trapped for nearly 24 hours. Officials said freeing the vehicles was delayed after two tractor-trailers jack-knifed as they were being moved.

'It seemed like a nightmare. It just didn't feel like it was going to end,' Bryce Foreback, 23, of Shicora, Pennsylvania said 20 hours into his wait for help. 'I haven't slept in like 30 hours and I'm just waiting to get out of here.'

Members of the Niagara University women's basketball team were napping on and off 17 hours into their wait. Some got so thirsty they drank melted snow, said Coach Kendra Faustin, who was traveling with her 1-year-old.

Stuck: A truck driver in Boston, New York, stands outside his stranded rig, which got stuck on an exit ramp

Frozen: Air travel was also hit by delays thanks to the snow - above is a Delta Airlines plan at Buffalo Greater International Airport

Team spokeswoman Chelsea Andorka said the bus, with about 25 players and coaches aboard, was headed back from a loss in Pittsburgh when it came to a halt at 2 am Tuesday.

In a region accustomed to highway-choking snowstorms, this one is being called one of the worst in memory. Snow blown by strong winds forced the closing of a 132-mile stretch of the Thruway, the main highway across New York state.

Temperatures in all 50 states fell to freezing or below on Tuesday, as colds more normal in January took hold two months early.

The National Weather Service warned that the snow, generated by cold air blowing over the warmer Great Lakes, would continue through Wednesday and could eventually total 6 feet in places. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo deployed 150 member of the National Guard to help clear snow-clogged roads and remove abandoned vehicles.

Piled on: Good Morning America host Gio Benitez showed off thigh-deep snow that had fallen overnight in Buffalo, New York

Stranded: Dozens of motorists were stranded on the New York State Thruway overnight after snow took driver by surprise. Elsewhere in Buffalo, a state of emergency was declared

Bitter cold: Commuters across the country had to bundle up against the brutal temperatures. Here, a woman wears a hat, scarf and hood to protect against temperatures in Philadelphia that hit 21 degrees

Covered: Lake effect snow hammered Buffalo, New York, and the surrounding suburbs - dumping up to five feet between Monday night and Tuesday

Marching on: The wall of snow could be seen from miles away as it brought yet more snow to the pounded city

Today virtually the entire country was experiencing temperatures well below normal for this time of the year. In the Midwest, South, and Northeast, it's 15 to 25 degrees colder than it should be for mid-November.

In Northeast Ohio, temperatures hit record lows for November as wind chills dropped to -8 degrees. Lows in Chicago dropped to 12 degrees with a wind chill of -6.

On Monday, parts of Upstate New York experienced thundersnow, the rattling early winter phenomenon, and could see it again.

Accuweather meteorologist Tom Kines said big snowfall is contained to a few places experiencing lake effect snow from the Great Lakes.

'Those places that are getting hit by lake effect are measuring snow by feet not inches,' he said.

Snow last week ensured that nearly half of the nation is now blanketed in snow - which might not be a record, but it's rare for November, Mr Kines added.

The arctic blast is expected to bring temperatures well below freezing as far south as Houston on Tuesday morning. Northern Florida and the southeast have even dropped below freezing. In Mariana, Florida, the low this morning was 31 degrees.

Even lower temperatures are expected for tomorrow in the southeast - where even New Orleans could drop to 31 degrees, setting a record low for this time of year, according to Accuweather.com.

The winter weather has caused 17 deaths - mostly from car crashes because of slippery roads - since Saturday. More crashes are expected as commuters re-learn how to drive in the snow.

Chilly: By Tuesday afternoon, much of the country was still under deep freeze. Even parts of the south remained below freezing

More of the same: Wednesday promises to severely cold all over again, with freezing temperatures dipping all the way into central Florida and south Texas

Warming slightly: Thursday will be slightly less cold as the weather warms ahead of the weekend. Lows in most places will still be unseasonably chilly

Colder than is should be: Nearly the entire country is experiencing below-average temperatures. In the South, Midwest and Northeast, it's 15 to 25 degrees colder than it normally is this time of year

Snow-vember: Nearly half of the country is covered in snow - from Washington to Texas, Tennessee to Maine there is at least a trace of snow on the ground right now

Whiteout: Snowy clouds can be seen swirling over the Great Lakes, center, and expanding into New York State and New England

Snowed in: One family is Buffalo will have a hard time getting outside thanks to the giant snow drift on their front lawn

Alternative transportation: A firefighter left his truck behind and got on a snowmobile in Depew, New York, on Tuesday

Even in Buffalo, a city that knows snow, the winter pounding took some residents by surprise. A Buffalo News photographer captured this young man wearing shorts while helping a driver dig out

Digging out: One Buffalo resident had to dig a trench just so she could open the door to let her dog out

Roll on: A semi tries its best to heave itself up a steep street in Kalamazoo, Michigan

Firefighters worked to free a car stuck in the snow in Depew, New York, which was also socked on Tuesday

In the major northeast cities, residents broke out their heavy winter coats early and bundled up against the bitterest temperatures so far this season.

In New York City, the low hit 27 degrees, 18 with the wind chill. Washington, DC, hit 28, with a wind chill of 17 degrees. The low in Philadelphia was 27 with a wind chill of 13 this morning. And Boston was a comparatively toasty 38, with a wind chill of 30.

The temperature is expected to drop even lower tonight - hitting 21 in New York and Philadelphia, 24 in Washington and 23 in Boston.

Mr Kines, of Accuweather, said the cold temperatures are due to the jetstream settling in the far southern US, which is bringing cold air south from the arctic to blanket nearly the entire country.

The country is in for more cold the rest of the week - and it will possibly get colder on Wednesday. However, by the weekend temperatures will warm - possibly all the way into the 60s by Monday in the northeastern US.

The weather forecasts show milder temperatures and few storms on the horizon for the busy Thanksgiving holiday travel, Mr Kines said.

Coming down: Western Michigan was also hard hit by lake effect snow. Grand Rapids, Michigan, where as much as 10 and a half inches fell on Tuesday

Surprise! Kapone the pooch is about to get a cold introduction to winter from owner Lauren Hansen, who shoveled off her porch in Grand Rapids Tuesday

Fun in the snow: Like any good western New York residents, Brooke Driscoll (left) and Buffalo Bills wide receiver Marquise Goodwin (right) enjoyed their snow day

Buried in Buffalo: Residents were urged to stay home and keep off the streets in the midst of the deluge

Sledders, from left, Kaitlin Crawford, Casey Brugh and Kyle LeBarron trek across the snow-covered Helfrich Hills Golf Course in Evansville, Indiana in search of the perfect hill on Monday morning

Cold-lanta: Even residents of normally-balmy Atlanta had to bundle up against the cold as temperatures dipped into the 20s

High winds mixed with the heavy snowfall to cause-near whiteout conditions in much of Buffalo

Three feet: This Buffalo resident measured 34 inches of snow on Tuesday morning - and two more feet could fall before it stops

Silver lining? The cold weather is great news for those in the ski industry - pictured are snow cannons getting to work on Roundtop Mountain in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania

Even cold down south: Two students in Jackson, Mississippi, bundled up on their way to school after temperatures hit 27 degrees. A low of 24 is expected tonight

Surf's not up: Even on the sands of Dania Beach, Florida, the chilly weather kept all but a hardy few out of the sea