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De-icing an airplane in Salt Lake City (Utah)
Photo: Rick Bowmer/AP
Unusually violent winter storms swept across parts of the United States on Wednesday and almost brought public life to a standstill in many places.
In a band of storms stretching from the west coast to the Great Lakes on the border with Canada, around 280,000 households lost power, according to the energy suppliers.
Snow warnings have been issued even for normally sunny areas near Los Angeles, California.
For the state of Minnesota, where up to half a meter of fresh snow is expected, the National Weather Service warned: "The historic winter storm will likely make travel impossible." Only absolutely necessary trips should be made.
"If you must travel, take an extra flashlight, food, and water in your car."
More than 1,500 flights had to be canceled by the evening.
A large portion of the failed connections involved the Minneapolis-St.
Paul International Airport.
Thousands of flights were delayed across the country.
Ash Wednesday services have been canceled in 90 churches in western Michigan.
Black ice feared in eastern states
Meteorologists expect the storm to hit the US east coast later this week.
Even if new snowfall is not expected everywhere, warnings apply: Significant black ice must be expected in Michigan and Illinois.
Car trips mean a risk that can hardly be calculated.
Only at the turn of the year did a severe winter storm paralyze parts of the east coast of the USA.
In some parts of the country, up to minus 40 degrees were measured.
The area around the Great Lakes was also affected.
The second largest city in the state of New York, Buffalo, was hit particularly hard.
Western New York is often the scene of heavy snowfall, but even there Storm Elliot was exceptional in strength and duration.
Up to 69 deaths are believed to be directly or indirectly related to the extreme weather.
jok/AFP