US winter storm brings bitter cold, creates deadly havoc

A severe winter storm continues to affect a large portion of the United States and Canada, bringing heavy snow, freezing rain, flooding and dangerously low temperatures.

The storm has affected a vast area from the Great Lakes near Canada to south of the Mexico-US border.

The storm is expected to produce record-cold temperatures on Christmas Eve in cities from Pennsylvania to Florida.

Winter weather advisories or warnings are in place for 60% of the US population, according to the National Weather Service.

The NWS warned that temperatures and strong winds are expected to create "dangerously cold wind chills" and "in some areas, being outdoors could lead to frostbite in minutes."

At least 17 storm-related deaths have been confirmed across eight states.

'Bomb cyclone' to blame for record lows

The NWS called the storm, which started on Thursday, a "once in a generation" event. It is expected to continue through the Christmas weekend.

Some parts of the country recorded temperatures as low as -55 Fahrenheit (-48 Celsius).

Temperatures were expected to drop to 8 degrees Fahrenheit in Pittsburgh (-13 Celsius) on Christmas Eve, colder than the previous record of 13 Fahrenheit set in 1983. The capital cities of Florida and Georgia, Tallahassee and Atlanta, are also expected to experience their coldest Christmas Eve daytime highs, while Washington, D.C. is forecast to have its chilliest December 24 since 1906.

Forecasters said the extreme colds were powered by a "bomb cyclone," which happens when atmospheric pressure drops very quickly in a strong storm. The cyclone had developed near the Great Lakes, stirring up blizzard conditions, including heavy winds and snow.

Power outages and canceled flights

As of Saturday morning, more than 1.7 million homes and businesses were without power, according to the website PowerOutage.

The storm also disrupted holiday plans for millions of Americans during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

The weather service warned that the conditions "will create a potentially life-threatening hazard for travelers that become stranded.''

The American Automobile Association had estimated that 112.7 million people planned to venture 50 miles (80 kilometers) or more from home between Friday and January 2. But stormy weather heading into the weekend likely ended up keeping many of them at home.

At least 2,000 US flights were canceled early on Saturday, with total delays tallying 4,000, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware. More than 5,000 flights were canceled on Friday, the flight tracker said.

The city of Buffalo in western New York imposed a driving ban and closed all three local border-crossing bridges to halt inbound traffic from Canada because of the weather.

Canada and Mexico also freezing

In Canada, hundreds of thousands of people were left without power in Ontario and Quebec as meteorologists there warned of a potential once-in-a-decade weather event.

Many flights were canceled at airports in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.

In Mexico, migrants camped near the border in unusually cold temperatures as they awaited a US Supreme Court decision on pandemic-era restrictions that prevent many from applying for asylum.

Churches, schools, and a civic center in El Paso, Texas, opened their doors to offer shelter to some of the migrants, but some chose to stay outside in frigid temperatures to avoid drawing the attention of immigration authorities.

lo/dj (AP, AFP, Reuters)