A brutal winter storm closed interstate highways from Arizona to Wyoming on February 22, trapped drivers in cars, knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of people and prompted the first blizzard warning in Southern California in decades — and the worst won't be over for several days. (Source: AP)
2/14
Few places were untouched by the wild weather, including some at the opposite extreme: long-standing record highs were broken in cities in the Midwest, mid-Atlantic and Southeast. (Source: AP)
3/14
The wintry mix hit hard in the northern US, closing schools, offices and even shutting down the Minnesota Legislature. Travel was difficult. The weather contributed to more than 1,600 flight cancellations, according to the tracking service FlightAware. More than 400 of those were due to arrive or depart from the Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport. Another 5,000-plus flights were delayed across the country. (Source: AP)
4/14
The roads were just as bad. In Wyoming, rescuers tried to reach people stranded in vehicles but high winds and drifting snow created a “near-impossible situation” for them, said Sgt Jeremy Beck of the Wyoming Highway Patrol. “They know their locations, it’s just hard for them to get them,” he said. (Source: AP)
Wyoming's Transportation Department posted on social media that roads across much of the southern part of the state were impassable. (Source: AP)
6/14
In the Pacific Northwest, high winds and heavy snow in the Cascade Mountains prevented search teams from reaching the bodies of three climbers killed in an avalanche on Washington’s Colchuck Peak over the weekend. Two experts from the Northwest Avalanche Center were hiking to the scene on February 22 to determine if conditions might permit a recovery attempt later this week. (Source: AP)
7/14
Powerful winds were the biggest problem in California, toppling trees and power lines. By February 22 evening, more than 65,000 customers in the state were without electricity, according to PowerOutage.us. (Source: AP)
8/14
For the first time since 1989, a blizzard warning was issued for the mountains of Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, effective from 4 am on February 23 to 4 pm on February 25, the National Weather Service said. (Source: AP)
A more than 320 km stretch of Interstate 40 from central Arizona to the New Mexico line closed due to snow, rain and wind gusts of up to 80 mph (129 kph). More than 8,000 customers were without power in Arizona. (Source: AP)
10/14
In the northern US — a region accustomed to heavy snow — the snowfall could be significant. More than 18 inches (46 centimeters) may pile up in parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin, the National Weather Service said on February 22. According to the weather service, the biggest snow event on record in the Twin Cities was 28.4 inches (72 centimeters) from October 31 through November 3, 1991. (Source: AP)
11/14
Temperatures could plunge as low as minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 29 degrees Celsius) on February 23 and to minus 25 F (minus 32 C) on February 24 in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Wind chills may fall to minus 50 F (minus 46 C), said Nathan Rick, a meteorologist in Grand Forks. (Source: AP)
12/14
Wind gusts may reach 80 kph in western and central Minnesota, resulting in “significant blowing and drifting snow with whiteout conditions in open areas,” the weather service said. (Source: AP)
13/14
The weather even prompted about 90 churches in western Michigan to cancel Ash Wednesday services, WZZM-TV reported. More than 192,000 customers in Michigan and nearly 89,000 in Illinois were without electricity on February 22 evening, according to PowerOutage.us. (Source: AP)
14/14
As the northern US dealt with the winter blast, National Weather Service meteorologist Richard Bann said some mid-Atlantic and Southeastern cities set new high temperature marks by several degrees. (Source: AP)
