Forecasters Sorry For 'Snowmageddon' Alert

America's east coast is clearing up after blizzards left behind more than 2ft of snow - but questions remain about whether weather warnings were overblown.

Massachusetts and Connecticut were worst affected and lost power in some areas. The word "snowicane" was even heard, referencing the expected blizzards and hurricane-speed winds.

However, New York saw as little as 4in of snow in places, leaving many to ask why the city was shut down .

In New Jersey, Governor Chris Christie defended his state-wide travel ban as "absolutely the right decision to make" in light of the dire forecast.

As Winter Storm Juno pushed into northeast areas on Monday, more than 7,700 flights were cancelled, and schools, businesses and government offices closed.

New York had an almost eerie feel to it, with no planes in the sky, no underground trains and just a few trucks rumbling down empty streets.

But as the storm headed north, it went further east than forecasters had been expecting, and conditions quickly improved.

After warnings of a "potentially historic blizzard", residents in New York were left asking where the "snowmageddon" was.

By Wednesday, all travel restrictions were lifted.

A National Weather Service forecaster in New Jersey apologised on Twitter for the wayward forecast.

"You made a lot of tough decisions expecting us to get it right, and we didn't. Once again, I'm sorry," Gary Szatkowski tweeted.

The storm buried the Boston area in more than 2ft of snow and lashed it with howling winds that exceeded 70 mph.

Snowplow operators around New England struggled to keep up, and Boston police drove doctors and nurses to work at hospitals.

The National Weather Service said a 78mph gust was reported on Nantucket, and there was a 72mph gust on Martha's Vineyard.

In New York, a teenager died as he crashed into a lamppost while snow-tubing.

Sean Urda, 17, was pronounced dead in hospital after the collision while riding an inner tube on Long Island on Monday night.