foot of snow. >> it seems like it's been snowing since winter got here. >> reporter: boston already declaring a snow emergency and planning to close public schools on friday. more thonn a thousand flights canceled on new years day. the massive winter storm wreaking havoc. >> stay off the road. >> reporter: monday than 200 spinouts reported in minneapolis alone as ice blankets the roads. frigid temps complicating rescue efforts in the twin cities as firefighters had to be rotated in and out of the front lines of this raging apartment fire. >> our nozzles have a tendency to freeze up. >> reporter: in upstate new york, lake-effect snow is the story, more than two feet of the white stuff on the ground already. >> it was hard on the businesses last night because people had reservations to go out to new years eve and they couldn't get out. >> reporter: the deep freeze will have parts of the country feeling temps well below zero.