Historic winter storm that left at least 34 dead, first responders charged with the grim task of looking for more victims battled snow drifts and sub-freezing temperatures.

The Buffalo police commissioner, Joseph Gramaglia, told reporters he expected more bodies to be found as snow was moved. Buffalo police had around 1,000 outstanding 911 calls though some may be duplicates, he said.

Police were fixing yellow crime scene tape to the side mirrors of abandoned vehicles after they had been checked for fatalities.

“This is painstaking, grueling work,” Gramaglia said.

For many residents, immediate relief remained out of sight. Driving bans remained and many grocery stores were shuttered.

Adding to the misery, after 4ft of snow fell over Christmas another 7.3in fell on Monday, bringing totals for the season to more than 100in.