Snow, wind, and slush have been hounding commuters in the eastern United States as a second major storm hit the region early on Wednesday.

 

At the same time, France and Belgium are bracing for three days of flurries in one of Europe's frostiest winters in two decades.

Howling winds are generating gusts of up to 72 kilometers per hour in Washington, DC.

Visibility has been reduced to less than a block in some places.

Most people on the streets are simply inching their way towards work.

Jim Bucholz, Attorney, said, "The commute wasn't bad because I live in town, but none of my co-workers are probably going to make it in."

The continued snowfall is turning removal efforts into quite a challenge.

Mario Garcia, Snow Removal Contractor, said, "We don't just have a place to push the snow. All the spaces are taken."

The storm has pulled the country's capital to within inches of a record high previously reached in 1898 and 1899.

The US National Weather Service says 10 to 20 inches of snow are expected throughout the Baltimore-Washington area by Wednesday evening.

Over in Europe, a brief but heavy dusting of flurries across central Paris turned the Eiffel Tower into a winter wonderland. But the result also created havoc for those trying to move around the city.

Traffic was disrupted on motorways in the northern part of France, and flights from the capital's main airports experienced interruptions.

French meteorological authorities have declared a severe weather warning for 13 counties in the Northwest and Paris.

In Belgium, heavy snow conjured up chaos on the roads leading to Brussels, and caused delays for commuters heading to work in their vehicles.

Driver, Brusseles, said, "It took me 4 hours to go from Ghent to Brussels."

There were also serious problems at Zaventem Airport, where all but one runway was closed because of the violent winds.

Temperatures are not expected to rise above 0 degrees Celsius anytime soon.