Severe storm blasts the Northeast with more than 40 inches of snow: Man, 71, is killed in Vermont crash as Buffalo officials urge motorists to 'use caution' due to low visibility

A severe storm slammed communities across the Northeast on Wednesday morning after - blanketing the region with more than 40 inches of snow. 

New York state, Vermont, Illinois, and Washington D.C. were all braced for impact and the Great Lakes and interior Northeast were hit with their first significant lake-effect snow event. 

Officials from Buffalo, New York have urged motorist to 'use caution' due to low visibility on the roads during Wednesday' morning commute. 

A man, 71, was killed in a Vermont car crash on Tuesday after his car and a transit bus collided into each other.  

On Tuesday, the National Christmas Tree just south of the White House also toppled over due to 37 mph winds from the brewing storm. 

Forecasters said scattered snow showers are expected to continue over the course of the day, but should not be as heavy, NBC reports.  

The heaviest snowfall was recorded 42.7 inches in Constableville, New York.

In Buffalo, a snowplow was seen lifting heavy snow onto a giant mound in the dark, while another video showed a wild wind and snow mixture on the shore of Lake Erie. 

In a press release posted to Facebook by the Killington Police Department in Vermont, a man identified as Mark J. Candon from Rutland was pronounced dead at the scene of a car crash. 

Around 12.26pm on Tuesday, authorities were dispatched to the accident in the area of 1894 Route 4 in Killington.

A preliminary investigation determined that Candon 'traveled across the center lane' from Route 4 east before his car collided with a Marble Valley regional Transit Bus that was traveling west. 

Candon was found to be the only person in his vehicle at the time of the crash, but the bus has two people inside. 

Gary E. Gilmore, 82, from North Clarendon was operating the bus while an unidentified female passenger rode along with him. 

Both Gilmore and the passenger was taken to a local hospital where she was treated for minor injuries.

The lake effect is set to make one final stand across the Buffalo, New York and Niagra region as the snowfall advances from the south to the north. 

National Weather Service meteorologist Jason Alumbaugh told WBEN the surge 'will be slowly lifting across the metro area', noting definite 'rough and difficult travel'. 

Dozens of schools have closed their doors or switched to remote learning amid warnings to avoid all travel where possible.

Last year, just days before Christmas, a deadly windy snowstorm battered Buffalo. 

The storm started on December 19 and by December 23, wind gusts had risen from 10mph to 70mph within minutes. 

CNN reported that 'at least' 31 people died in the wicked storm that buried the city in more than 50.3 inches of snow.    

In Washington D.C., the 40ft Norway spruce Christmas Tree at Ellipse Park blew over from intense wind gusts around 5pm on Tuesday - just two days before the annual lighting ceremony.

Local news outlets captured the moment as they took photos and videos of the gigantic tree as it laid on its side. 

The tree was returned back to its rightful place about an hour after it fell over, according to the Associated Press. 

There has been no indication that the tree lighting, typically hosted by the president and first lady, will not go as planned on Thursday. 

Wind gusts at nearby Reagon National Airport hit 43mph, according to The Weather Channel. 

Over the weekend, Thanksgiving travelers heading back home from their festivities were also impacted by the start of the snowstorm. 

Several car crashes were reported, along with a litany of delays. Because of the prospects of hindered travel this time around, travelers with the flexibility to head home later in the week were encouraged to do so. 

That's due to the fact that the day these storms were set to strike on the busiest day to travel home, per the AAA. 

Nearly 3million people were set to travel on Sunday at airports, making it the busiest travel day of the year.