WASHINGTON (AFP) The US east coast was on Monday braced for a new storm after record snowfall left tens of thousands of people without power, paralysed transportation and shut down the federal government.

The US capital remained largely snow-locked, while many local governments, businesses and schools were also closed throughout the mid-Atlantic region.

People struggled to get to work as hundreds of emergency personnel battled to clear roads of snow that kept cars, trains and planes from moving.

Roofs collapsed under the weight of the white stuff, including at a firehouse in northern Virginia.

Residents had little hope of respite from the icy, sometimes slushy mess, with another storm expected to dump five or more inches (13 centimeters) of snow on the area late Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

Freezing temperatures overnight turned plowed roads and highways into icy rinks, with dangerous black ice forming in some areas.

This snow is so deep and so heavy that the traditional snow plows can't shovel in some areas. So bulldozers are physically having to lift it up and away, Southard told AFP.

Washington's Reagan National Airport was closed for snow and ice removal, although airport officials said they expected to resume operations later in the day. Other local airports were open, although officials warned that some flights may be cancelled or delayed.

Virginia police had responded to more than 4,370 calls, mostly involving traffic accidents or stranded cars.

Progress is being made, but it's going to take a couple more days at least, but even then we can't make any promises, Southard added.

Hundreds of thousands of people spent a chilly night huddled around candles and hunkered under blankets without power, although crews working around the clock did manage to restore electricity to many homes.