Blizzard cripples life in the United States

A storm accompanied by heavy snow and strong arctic winds left 1.7 million homes without power in the United States on Saturday, while thousands of flights canceled on Christmas Eve stranded travelers.

At least 13 storm-related deaths were confirmed in six states as heavy snow, winds and freezing temperatures paralyzed much of the country, including in the usually mild south, for the third day in a row.

The winter storm, which is among the most severe in decades, canceled more than 1,900 flights across the United States on Saturday, a day after nearly 6,000 were cancelled, according to tracking website FlightAware.

As a result of the flight cancellations, travelers were stuck at airports including Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Detroit and New York while scrambling to find alternative flights ahead of Christmas.

Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news