The snow that has battered the US east coast hasn't stopped some people from getting out - they're actually putting on swimming costumes and diving inThousands of Americans are stripping off and joining in a new online trend sparked by the massive blizzard that has battered the US East Coast.

Countless 'snow diving' clips have appeared online in recent days, showing intrepid people donning nothing but swimming costumes and diving headfirst into thick blankets of icy snow.

One of the most popular videos features swimmer Courtney Marie wearing a black swimming costume diving gracefully into a deep blanket of powder in her back garden.

The snow is so deep that she disappears almost entirely beneath the surface, with only the tips of her toes visible.The clip has racked up more than 44,000 likes since being posted to Instagram late last night.

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Fellow swimmer Chris McMahon has become another viral sensation, after he posted a video of himself and a friend diving in in West Virginia.The pair are seen standing on chairs in swim hats, goggles and black speedos, before leaping in and breaking into a front crawl.

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Many others have been following (swim) suit across the country.