Watch mesmerising timelapse video of New York City disappearing in snow squall

Manhattan went from clear skies to completely white in a matter of hours

(Reuters)

The Manhattan skyline completely disappeared during a snow squall on Wednesday.

The phenomenon took place in a matter of minutes, with timelapse video footage showing New York go from clear-skied to a blur of white flakes.

It started at around 3.25pm on Wednesday, when a “micro-blizzard” whirled around the city and the outer boroughs for just 20 minutes or so.

Jordan Thompson-DeSon shared footage he took on Twitter, which was filmed in Chelsea looking north from W 27th St during 3-4pm.

In that time, the city was transformed.

He wasn’t the only one to capture the event. Matt McDermott, director of Whitman Insight Strategies, also filmed a timelapse in Chelsea over just 10 minutes, in which time the landscape is cloaked in white.

It comes after spellbinding video was recorded elsewhere in the US, as the country is in the midst of a polar vortex.

Footage showed Lake Michigan frozen over, while the Chicago River was captured as a boat sailed along it to break up the ice.

Niagara Falls has also been getting attention as parts of it froze over this week. The effect was heightened by clouds of steam coming up the falls, as the warmer water hits the freezing air.

In the UK, the Met Office has extended its yellow snow and ice warnings to cover Saturday 2 and Monday 4 February.

During this time, injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces could occur and some roads and railways are likely to be affected, with longer journey times by road, bus and train services in areas where snow continues on Friday afternoon and evening.