New York, Dec 18 (IANS): The ongoing winter storm Gail has caused traffic chaos across New York state with hundreds of flights cancelled and automobile accidents.

Over 600 automobile accidents resulted from the winter storm which hit New York on Wednesday afternoon, Xinhua news agency quoted state Governor Andrew Cuomo as saying during a press briefing on Thursday.

More than 1,000 flights have been cancelled due to heavy snow, including over 500 fights to and from the three major airports around Manhattan Island, according to aviation software and data service company FlightAware.

Places like Newark Valley, Binghamton and Vestal in New York state received more than 40 inches of snowfall, according to Cuomo.

Although New York City overall got less snowfall than initial estimate, the Bronx had snow accumulation of 11 inches with five to eight inches of snowfall in the rest of the city, according to a press briefing by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday morning.

Outdoor dining in Manhattan resumed on Thursday night while an update for the other four boroughs would decided later, said de Blasio.

Salt spreaders and snow plows would continue to work in New York City, according to the local sanitation department.

Schools in New York City were shut down on Thursday and would resume in-person learning on Friday.

Besides New York, Gail also affected a number of locations in northern Pennsylvania.

It was the heaviest snowstorm in almost 18 years in State College, Pennsylvania.