Deep Freeze Chills Midwest as Outages Plague Northeast

Brutally cold temperatures are buffeting the Midwest today, and states of emergency remain in effect throughout the Northeast following a devastating ice storm that left more than 400,000 people without power, USA Today reports. Schools were closed in Massachusetts and crews from up and down the Eastern seaboard rushed to repair power lines before more nasty weather hits in the next day or two.

New Hampshire was the hardest-hit state, with 168,000 customers still lacking electricity. President Bush asked FEMA to provide relief there and in some parts of Massachusetts. Elsewhere, bitter cold lashed North Dakota and Nebraska, closing or delaying school. Heavy snowfall is expected on the West Coast. Oddly, the mid-Atlantic is experiencing balmy temperatures, with a record high predicted for Trenton, NJ. (More severe weather stories.)