A powerful winter storm system moving across the Great Lakes and Northeast is bringing snow and ice, frigid temperatures and possible whiteout conditions.

Yes, it snowed in Hawaii this week – as much as 10 inches, in fact. But don't panic, it's actually a fairly common occurrence. "While most people think of the islands as a warm, tropical paradise, it’s not uncommon to see snow on the volcanic peaks of the Big Island," said Weather.com meteorologist Caitlin Kaiser in an online report.

More than 1,000 stranded passengers spent the night at Amsterdam's international airport as snow and ice that is pummeling parts of Europe grounded hundreds of flights and choked highways and railroads Wednesday.

A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for the region with a Winter Storm Warning for Somerset County and the ridges of Westmoreland and Fayette County.

A yellow weather warning for snow has been upgraded to a more severe amber warning for parts of the. The Met Office said the whole of the region would experience snow that was likely to lead to disruption and dangerous travelling conditions from 17:00 GMT on Thursday with the more severe weather expected in parts from 20:00.

The UK is bracing for another severe weather system as Storm Goretti is set to arrive this week, prompting new amber warnings for snow and wind. The storm follows a major incident declaration in Scotland and a series of disruptive winter conditions across the country.