A huge winter storm pummelled the United States today, disrupting businesses, flights and other transport.
The storm, touching some 30 states and a third of the US population, stretched from New Mexico to Maine as it moved rapidly toward the northeast where an ice storm wreaked havoc on New York and eastern Massachusetts.
But the huge two-day storm delivered its strongest punch to the Midwest, dumping as much as three inches of snow an hour on Chicago along with winds of up to 40 miles per hour (65 kph).
"This is pretty unbelievable. I was around in '67 but this is really crazy," said John Paczesny, 48, a Chicago suburban firefighter.
Just over 20 inches (54 cm) had piled up in Chicago by midday. Snowfalls of a foot or more were recorded from Oklahoma City to Kansas City and Indianapolis.
The website flightaware.com, which tracks airline cancellation information, said more than 5,600 flights had been cancelled in the United States today. That followed thousands more cancellations yesterday.
President Barack Obama got a briefing on the storm's impact, and stressed the need for co-ordination at all levels of government to help states with the aftermath.
Power was out for more than 375,000 customers from Texas to New England, and into Canada.
The Texas power grid operator imposed rolling blackouts as frigid weather swept across the state, leaving 3 million homes temporarily without electricity.
Oklahoma's governor asked the White House to approve an emergency disaster declaration request, a move that would help cash-strapped local governments cover some of the expenses associated with responding to the storm.
Treacherous ice, rather than deep snow, hit New York City and parts of the East Coast.
The heavily used commuter rail service between New Jersey and New York was suspended due to ice build-up on the overhead power lines, authorities said. Public transportation in other major cities, including Boston, was also disrupted.
In the Northeast, the storm was expected to dump 12-18 inches (30-45 cm) of snow on Boston today.
The National Weather Service warned of a dangerous "flash freeze" for most of eastern Massachusetts as temperatures dropped rapidly. Drivers and walkers were urged to use extra caution.
"The thing we're most fearful of is freezing rain. It could turn the roads into ice rinks pretty quickly," said Peter Judge, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency spokesman.
Reuters