U.S. STATES BRACED FOR WINTER STORM!

Traffic was disrupted by snow falls on Friday

A winter storm continued to sweep across north-eastern US after heavy snow and strong winds disrupted transport, power and schools.

Storm warnings were in place in a dozen states, with the National Weather Service warning of power outages and dangerous travel conditions.

Minnesota could face some of the worst of the blast, with 15 inches of snow forecast, and "impossible" road travel.

It comes after a storm on Friday grounded planes and closed schools.

Among other warnings, the National Weather Service said that in South Dakota there would be a fast-moving Arctic front during the weekend, with bitterly cold winds of up to 40mph (64km/h) creating widespread blizzard conditions.

The National Weather Service warned New Hampshire residents they could face "greater extremes" on Sunday than they experienced during Friday's blizzard.

Power remained cut to several thousand homes and businesses in New Hampshire after last week's storm.

The forecast said up to 11 inches of wet snow was likely, leading to more power cuts in the state.

The greater danger was the combination of high winds and temperatures falling well below zero.

In the midst of Friday's storm more than 200 flights were cancelled at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, and more than 650 at three New York City-area airports, with others facing long delays.

In Illinois about 60,000 customers lost power, with a further 35,000 in Ohio and 180,000 in Indiana.

Schools were closed across the north-east region.

In Las Vegas residents and tourists were shocked to see the rare site of palm trees along the Las Vegas strip covered in a thick coating of snow.

More than 3.5 inches (9cm) of snow fell across the city, its heaviest snowfall in nearly 30 years, cancelling flights and closing roads.

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick asked non-essential state employees to stay home in a bid to prevent traffic jams on Friday, but New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg urged people to get out of their houses and go shopping.

In Seattle 11 people were hurt when two buses slid down an icy street, and broke through a guardrail above a motorway.

One dangled for several hours before being towed back from the brink.
BBC NEWS REPORT.