Snow storms in western US, Michigan freezes without power

Washington [US],February 25: Strong blizzards and downpours hit California and other states in the western US today, and in Michigan thousands of people froze to death due to power outages following one of the worst winter storms in decades.
The National Weather Service has warned of a "cold and dangerous winter storm" that could linger in California until tomorrow, while blizzard warnings are in effect for the Sierra Nevada and Southern California mountain ranges, where up to a foot and a half of snow is expected. .
"Plain and simple, this will be a historic event in terms of the amount of snow both on the mountain tops and in the lower regions," the institute announced.
The interstate highway, the main artery of the west coast of the United States connecting the south and the north, was closed today in the California area, south of the Oregon border, due to snowfall in the Sacramento Valley and in the mountain pass north of Los Angeles, where warnings are in effect for blizzard. Lower grade roads are also closed.
Meteorologists also warn of severe thunderstorms that could create water leeches in the ocean waters off the coast of Southern California. Blizzard warnings are in effect for parts of Nevada.
More than 300 flights were canceled in the US today due to the weather in the western US, and in Oregon, roads are mostly frozen and closed, and the ice is not expected to soften until tomorrow.
Across the wider US, winter storms left almost a million consumers without power, with Michigan in the north hardest hit, where thousands of people are in the dark. A few days ago, more than 800,000 people were left without electricity there at one point.
Source: Beta News Agency