More than 8,000 flights cancelled as winter storm bears down on US

More than 8,000 flights across the US have been cancelled over the weekend as a major storm bears down on the country, threatening to knock out power for days and snarl major roads.

Roughly 140 million people are under a winter storm warning from New Mexico to New England.

The US National Weather Service has warned of widespread heavy snow and a band of catastrophic ice stretching from east Texas to North Carolina.

Forecasters say damage, especially in areas pounded by ice, could rival that of a hurricane.

By Friday night, the edge of the storm sent freezing rain and sleet into parts of Texas while snow and sleet fell in Oklahoma.

After sweeping through the South, the storm is expected to move into the north-east, dumping about a foot of snow from Washington through New York and Boston, the weather service predicted.

Governors in more than a dozen states sounded the alarm about the turbulent weather ahead, declaring emergencies or urging people to stay home.

Texas governor Greg Abbott told residents on the social media platform X that the state transport department was pre-treating the roads, and told residents: “Stay home if possible.”

More than 3,400 flights were delayed or cancelled on Saturday, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. More than 5,000 were called off for Sunday.

Utility companies braced for power outages because ice-coated trees and power lines can keep falling long after a storm has passed.

The US Midwest saw wind chills as low as minus minus 40C, meaning that frostbite could set in within 10 minutes.

The US federal government put nearly 30 search and rescue teams on standby. Officials have more than seven million meals, 600,000 blankets and 300 generators placed throughout the area the storm is expected to cross, officials said.

President Donald Trump said via social media on Friday that his administration was coordinating with state and local officials and “FEMA is fully prepared to respond”.

After the storm passes, it will take a while to thaw out. Ice can add hundreds of pounds to power lines and branches and make them more susceptible to snapping, especially if conditions are windy.

In at least 11 southern states from Texas to Virginia, a majority of homes are heated by electricity, according to the US Census Bureau.

A severe cold snap five years ago took down much of the power grid in Texas, leaving millions without power for days and resulting in hundreds of deaths.

Mr Abbott vowed that will not happen again, and utility companies are bringing in thousands of employees to help keep the lights on.