Snowstorm batters US, disrupts travel and power supply

Strong snowstorms with high winds and heavy snow lashed the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest regions in the US on Wednesday.

Blizzards dumped up to two feet of snow across a vast region, extending from the West Coast to the Great Lakes. The snowstorms not only impeded air travel but also left thousands of homes without power and led to shutdown of hundreds of schools.

Hundreds of thousands of properties were without power, according to data provider Poweroutage.us.

Winter advisories issued

Winter weather advisories have been issued to more than 50 million Americans as the storm is expected to move across the continental US.

According to the National Weather Service, up to 2 feet of snow (60 centimetres) and winds of up to 60 miles per hour (over 95 kilometers per hour) are expected in some areas on Thursday.

Heavy snow is expected even in usually warmer regions near Los Angeles.

In the Midwest region, Minneapolis was one the hardest-hit cities where some 20 inches of snow and 45 mile-per-hour winds were expected to lead to whiteouts.

Travel comes to a halt

Forecasters with the National Weather Service have warned of a "historic winter storm [that] will likely lead to impossible travel" in Minnesota.

"We are bracing for what is likely to be one of the largest snowstorms in Minnesota history," St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said.

In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, below-zero temperatures with heavy snowfall severely impacted daily life. Motorcyclists were warned of slippery roads in New England as it snowed and rained even in the East.

Forecasters in Maryland said roads covered in snow will make travel dangerous in the Upper Midwest, adding that ice-covered power lines and falling trees could lead to power outages on Wednesday and Thursday.

mf/rc (Reuters, AFP)