‘Once in a generation’ freeze for Christmas as bomb cyclone hits US

Power outages leave more than 1.4 million homes and businesses in the dark, while 3,900 US flights were canceled

Tens of millions of Americans were hit by frigid temperatures, high winds, blizzards, power outages and canceled holiday gatherings Friday from a gigantic winter storm that swept across the country.

Forecasters said the scale of the weather pattern was nearly unprecedented in its scope, exposing than 200 million people – about 60% of the US population – to some sort of winter advisory or warning. The weather service’s map “depicts one of the greatest extents of winter weather warnings and advisories ever,” forecasters said.