Winter Storm continues to pummel US; 18 dead, over 700,000 left without power

The frigid winter storm that hit the US on Christmas eve left temperatures plummetting and over 18 people dead from weather-related incidents. 

Over 700,000 people were affected by blackouts on Saturday, and many millions more were on the edge as flights continued to be cancelled, throwing travel plans haywire.

According to the National Weather Service, the deep freeze sent the temperatures down as low as minus 48 Celsius (minus 55 Fahrenheit).

The storm pummeled parts of the Upper Midwestern states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and Indiana and the interior Northeast with heavy snow and blizzard conditions.

In Buffalo, New York, the storm winds caused whiteout conditions, leaving the emergency response efforts paralysed. The city's international airport was also shut down.

While most deaths were mostly due to exposure, car crashes, a falling tree limb and other effects of the storm, three people died in the Buffalo area following medical emergencies as the weather conditions left emergency crews stranded.

According to sources almost every fire truck in Buffalo was stranded in the snow. 

Forecasters said 28 inches (71 centimetres) of snow accumulated as of Saturday in Buffalo. Last month, areas just south of Buffalo saw a record 6 feet of snow (about 1.8 meters) from a single storm.

Over 340,000 homes and businesses nationwide were without power Christmas Eve, reported sources. The blinding blizzards, freezing rain and frigid cold also knocked out power from Maine to Seattle.

Across the six New England states, more than 273,000 electric customers remained without power on Saturday, with Maine the hardest hit. In North Carolina, 169,000 customers were without power Saturday afternoon.

Over 2,360 flights within, into or out of the U.S. were cancelled Saturday. Data from flight-tracking service FlightAware said total delays tallied more than 6,400. More than 5,000 flights were cancelled on Friday.

Thousands were stranded across the country. In upstate New York, about 500 motorists were stranded in their vehicles on Friday night into Saturday morning. One person was found dead in a car.

Passenger railroad Amtrak has cancelled dozens of trains through Christmas, disrupting holiday travel for thousands.

Forecasters said a bomb cyclone when atmospheric pressure drops very quickly in a strong storm had developed near the Great Lakes, stirring up blizzard conditions, including heavy winds and snow.

Western New York often sees dramatic lake-effect snow, which is caused by cool air picking up moisture from the warm water, and then dumping it on the land. But even area residents found conditions to be dire on Christmas Eve.