Snowstorm hits US

A massive winter storm pounding the northern United States has grounded 2,600 flights, closed hundreds of schools and made roadways and highways impassible. At least four people were reportedly killed in accidents on icy and snow covered roads and highways.

More than a dozen states from Minnesota to Virginia were in the path of the huge storm, which had already dumped as much as two feet of snow in Montana and 15 inches in North Dakota. Nearly 900 flights were grounded at Chicago's O'Hare airport while another 260 were cancelled at Chicago Midway yesterday.

Over 100 flights were cancelled in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which pushed the day's total to 1,465. Another 1,162 flights scheduled for today had already been cancelled, mainly in the Washington area. The storm was expected to hit the nation's capital early today, and some Congressional meetings were already being called off.