Huge ‘bomb cyclone’ storm hits US with life-threatening cold as holidays begin

More than 60% of US faces winter weather warnings, with temperatures drastically below normal in many places

A wild winter storm enveloped much of the US on Saturday, bringing blizzards, freezing rain, flooding and intense cold close to record lows. More than a dozen deaths were attributed to the storm. Holiday travel and utilities were disrupted, with around 1.4 million homes and businesses left without power by late afternoon.

Forecasters said the storm, a bomb cyclone" or bombogenesis", was caused by a collision of cold, dry air from the north and warm, moist air from the south.