BOSTON (Reuters) - Another winter storm was taking aim at the winter-weary United States North-east on Saturday, threatening blizzard conditions and severe cold in parts of New England already buried under 1.8m of snow, forecasters said.

The latest storm was tracking east across the Great Lakes and was expected to gather strength as it approaches the Atlantic coast, spreading a blast of arctic air and snow from Virginia to southern Canada, the National Weather Service said.

The most severe weather was poised for the New England coast from Saturday into Sunday, the National Weather Service said.

Boston, which has received about 1.8m of snow in a trio of record-setting storms over the past three weeks, is bracing for as much as 36cm of new accumulation, forecasts indicate.

Blizzard conditions are also expected in Rhode Island, eastern Connecticut, New Hampshire and coastal Maine, AccuWeather predicted.

Farther south, snow accumulation up to 7.6cm was expected from Washington D.C. to New York City.

The system will also bring bitter cold temperatures and wind gusts up to 75 miles per hour 120 kmh, meteorologists said.

With the newest band of winter weather, the town of Alton, New Hampshire called off its annual ice carnival set for the weekend due to concerns over massive snow squalls and freezing wind.