As Europe shivered under pre-Christmas cold closing down airports and schools, Washington and a few other states in US have decalred an emergency due to winter storm. A snowstorm has blanketed the United States East Coast and the country's National Weather Service has forecast up to two feet of snow on and around Washington DC over the weekend. Mayor Adrian Fenty of Washington says all indications are that this will be a major storm – perhaps the biggest seen in several years. In Virginia, Governor Tim Kaine declared a state of emergency. Winter storm warnings were in effect from North Carolina and Tennessee in the south to southern New England in the north. The weather service said travel conditions throughout the region would be extremely treacherous. Authorities were urging drivers to stay off the roads.In Europe, snow has caused chaos on roads with the Swiss canton of Grisons recording a low temperature of minus 32 degrees Celsius. Two of London's airports were closed overnight after heavy snow fell across south and east England, with a score of incoming flights being diverted to other British destinations. More than 1,500 British schools closed early. Romania was also hit by a thick blanket of snow. French meteorologists warned of more snow and ice over the weekend for most of northern France, the French Alps and the Mediterranean island of Corsica. In Belgium, dozens of flights were cancelled at Brussels international airport after snow falls and ice on runways.