Milan, 27 January (LaPresse/AP) – The death toll from the Arctic storm battering the United States has risen to at least 30. The death toll rose after two people were hit by snowploughs in Massachusetts and Ohio. Fatal sledding accidents killed two teenagers in Arkansas and Texas, while in Emporia, Kansas, police found a 28-year-old teacher dead in the snow after she was seen leaving a bar without a coat or phone. In New York City, authorities said eight people were found dead outdoors during the freezing weekend. Authorities reported four deaths in Tennessee, three each in Louisiana and Pennsylvania, two in Mississippi and one each in New Jersey, South Carolina and Kentucky. Snow more than 30 centimetres deep from Arkansas to New England blocked traffic, caused flight cancellations and led to the closure of many schools yesterday. The National Weather Service reported that areas north of Pittsburgh saw up to 50 centimetres of snow and wind chill temperatures as low as -31 °C between last night and today.