17 DIE AS SNOW STORMS SWEEP ACROSS THE U.S

Up to 17 people have died after a massive winter storm buried central parts of the United States under ice and snow. Most of the deaths were from road accidents, according to reports. Scores of motorists were left stranded as snow drifts as high as 15ft shut down major roads. Hundreds of flights were cancelled and schools closed after freezing rain that preceded the snow created hazardous conditions. Blizzard warnings were issued across the Midwest, as the storm moved east across the country after pounding Utah, Nevada, Colorado and Arizona. It is expected to move across the Great Lakes into Canada, sparing much of the East Coast. Flash flood warnings have been issued for the Mississippi and Tennessee River valleys and mid-Atlantic and south east states due to heavy rains from the southern part of the system.