Deadly winter storm paralyzes South, roars up…

A massive storm blamed for at least 21 deaths paralyzed much of the East Coast with snow, sleet and ice Thursday, the latest punch from a tough winter that has left 49 of the nation's 50 states with snow on the ground.

As the South tried to dig out from a crusty layer of frozen snow and hundreds of thousands of people waited for the return of electric power, winter-weary New Yorkers were coping with a foot of fresh snow and much of the Northeast was bracing for more.

"I think we're actually seeing a little more snow than we expected — and we expected a lot of snow,'' said National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Korty.

Air travel was a disaster. More than 7,600 scheduled commercial flights were canceled across the USA, according to FlightStats.com, which tracks air travel.

YOUR TAKE: Your storm photos shared with the nation

Authorities blamed at least 21 deaths on the weather, among them two people who died after being struck by snowplows: A pregnant woman in Brooklyn who was loading groceries into her car when hit, and a snowplow driver who was struck by another state truck in Virginia. Min Lin's baby boy was in critical condition after being delivered nearly full term by cesarean section.

The ice and snow knocked out power across a wide swath. About 550,000 electricity customers remained in the dark, mostly in South Carolina and Georgia.

New York's new mayor, Bill de Blasio, drew criticism for his decision to keep city schools open in such difficult conditions. He countered with a simple tweet: "Since 1978 we've only had 11 snow days in New York City Public Schools."

Claire Zeng, 24, a business analyst who moved to the United States from Changsha, China, said she was weary of the arduous winter.

"If this continues, I will consider to move out," said Zeng, who is in her third New York winter. "It has been continuously snowing."

The storm is just the latest in a series of wintry blasts across much of the eastern half of the nation. Snow! is now on the ground in 49 out of the 50 states, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Only Florida is completely snow free, while Hawaii has snow near its volcanic peaks. But there is very little snow on the ground in usually snowy parts of Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico.

Snow totals varied widely. New York's Central Park was blanketed in 9.5 inches. Some areas around Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia were reporting 7-10 inches, while the snowfall approached two feet in parts of Virginia and Maryland. Oakland, Md., saw 23 inches.

More is on the way.

Heavy snow will continue overnight in the Northeast, but will begin to taper off from south to north through the morning hours on Friday, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Allison Monarski.

An additional 12 to 18 inches, with locally higher amounts, can be expected through New England before the storm finally moves away Friday night.

Warmer air streaming in off the Atlantic should keep most of the precipitation as rain for coastal New England, with some mixing in of sleet or freezing rain possible.

Another storm will lead to some wintry precipitation in portions of the northern Plains and Mid-Mississippi Valley on Friday morning, which will spread into the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic states by Friday evening and into New England on Saturday, the weather service predicts.

The storm could strengthen rapidly near Cape Cod, Mass., and could bring near-blizzard conditions to part of southeastern New England on Saturday, according to AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.

A change to warmer weather is possible beginning Monday and Tuesday across much of the country, and may continue through much of the rest of the month, AccuWeather is forecasting.

The massive flight cancellations and delays came after 4,000 flights were scrubbed Wednesday. Even warm, distant airports in Florida and California saw hundreds of cancellations because of the East's weather woes.

YOUR TAKE: What's the weather like where you are?

STORY: 49 states have snow right now

Washington, D.C., was largely shut down. Federal offices were closed, and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport closed all runways. Metrobus service in the nation's capital was suspended.

On the National Mall, children made snowmen, people took photos and cross-country skiers got in a unique kind of exercise in the capital area.

"Usually I would be running, but I love skiing," said Mike Dziedzic, 64. "The weather is much better for skiing right now."

Janice Falvo, 56, was snowed in at Ellicott City, Md. She did some shoveling and made Italian wedding soup on her impromptu day off from work at a dental office.

"When I get stuck, I bake and I cook," she said.

In Delaware, Newark-area resident Anne Gordon said she took one look outside Thursday morning and concluded she was not going anywhere.

"Our developments are horrible out here," Gordon said. "I can't even get my car out."

In Philadelphia, taxi driver Jeff Heaton, 57, said the heavy snow convinced him to organize his apartment Thursday. It's only the second day he hasn't worked in 2014.

"It slows everything down a lot," he said of the snow, adding that "a lot of people just don't come out."

The South took its biggest hit Wednesday and in the predawn hours of Thursday, and much of it was ice. In North Carolina, the storm caused huge tra! ffic jams! in the Raleigh area Wednesday as people left work and rushed to get home in the middle of the day.

Contributing: John Bacon, Allison Gray, Doyle Rice, Greg Toppo, i Larry Copeland, Natalie DiBlasio; Jon Ostendorff, the Asheville (N.C.) Citizen-Times; WUSA-TV; James Fisher, The News Journal in Wilmington, Del.; and the Associated Press

A motorist rides along the tire paths cleared of snow on Georgia state Route 141 as snow and sleet continue to fall for a second day Feb. 13, 2014, in Peachtree Corners, Ga.  John Amis, APFullscreen Abby Boyer, 9, sleds down a hill at Mendenhall Middle School as a winter storm continues to drop snow in Greensboro, N.C.  Rob Brown, (Greensboro, N.C.) News & Record, via APFullscreen An airline traveler stranded by the East Coast snowstorm sleeps in the baggage claim area at Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C.  Paul J. Richards, AFP/Getty ImagesFullscreen A thin coating of ice covers branches on a tree in Cary, N.C. About 5 inches of snow coated with ice blanketed Cary and most of central North Carolina.  John Hansen, The (Raleigh, N.C.) News & Observer, via APFullscreen Kurtis Wright, 8, digs into a tunnel in the snow after a foot of snow fell in Staunton, Va.  Katie Currid, The Daily News Leader, via APFullscreen Traffic is stalled on Interstate 70 near Clear Spring, Md., after a three-truck accident.  Kevin G. Gilbert, The Herald-Mail, via APFullscreen Patrick Fenton goes sledding with friends after schools were closed because of snow in Charlotte.  Davis Turner, Getty ImagesFullscreen Duke University seniors Hannah Brown, left, and Shane Daly lift the final ball of snow onto their snowman with the help of Samantha Hartzell and Christie Jackson, right, in Durham, N.C. Snow and icy conditions shut down schools, city side streets and business throughout central North Carolina on Feb. 13, 2014.  Sara D. Davis, Getty ImagesFullscreen An SUV makes its way down Jefferson Street in Wilmington, Del. The city saw nearly a foot of snow fall over night, and heavy sleet in the morning.  Kyle Grantham, The News Journal, via APFullscreen High school students visiting from southern California have a snowball fight in Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C.  Jim Lo Scalzo, epaFullscreen Lydia Thompson, 8, catches snowflakes on her tongue while helping her family shovel snow during a winter storm in Blacksburg, Va.  Matt Gentry, The Roanoke Times, via APFullscreen Snow falls on the Martin Luther King Memorial in Washington, D.C.  Mark Wilson, Getty ImagesFullscreen A woman covers her face while walking through the snow in New York City. Heavy snow and high winds made for a hard morning commute.  John Moore, Getty ImagesFullscreen A man braces his umbrella while walking through the snow in New York City.  John Moore, Getty ImagesFullscreen Employees of ACME Towing cable a car to be towed out of a median on Highway 70 East in Raleigh, N.C. Hundreds of cars were abandoned overnight around the North Carolina triangle as motorists encountered icy conditions.  Sara D. Davis, Getty ImagesFullscreen A pedestrian shields her face from the blowing snow in New York.  Seth Wenig, APFullscreen Isaiah Schuham-Anders, 12, goes over a bump Feb. 13 as he sleds in front of the U.S. Capitol after a heavy snowstorm hit Washington.  H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAYFullscreen Visitors take photographs at the Capitol as snow turns to light rain in Washington.  H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAAYFullscreen Plows clear snow from Pennsylvania Ave. near the Capitol in Washington.  H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAYFullscreen A woman lifts a child over a pile of snow as they navigate the snowy streets of Washington.  H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAYFullscreen George Painter of Kennett Square, Pa., clears his driveway.  Eileen Blass, USA TODAYFullscreen James Johnathan, left, uses a pick axe to bust up old ice under the new snow as Jackie Garrido shovels out during the winter storm in Easton, Pa. They are neighbors helping each other clearing out the snow around the cars.  Sue Beyer The Express-Times via APFullscreen Pedestrians attempt to traverse slush puddles nearNew York'sPennsylvania Station.  John Minchillo, APFullscreen Wrecked and abandoned vehicles litter Hwy 70 near the Angus Barn in Raleigh, N.C.  Chuck Liddy, The News & Observer via APFullscreen An employee of Lincoln Center shovels snow from a stairwell at the complex in New York.  Seth Wenig, APFullscreen A woman digs her car out of the snow on 15th Street in Bayonne, N.J.  Reena Rose Sibayan, The Jersey Journal via APFullscreen The Washington Monument is barely visible behind visitors to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on Feb. 13.  Michael Reynolds, epaFullscreen Robin Muskal of Morristown, N.J., walks her Swiss mountain dog Oscar Olly down Mills Street.  Bob Karp, (Parsippany, N.J.) Daily RecordFullscreen Good Samaritans try to free a car stuck in the snow in Trenton, N.J.  Mel Evans, APFullscreen Passer-by Leo Cruz, left, helps Julian Ramirez dig Ramirez's car from the frozen roadside after abandoning the car overnight during a winter storm in Chapel Hill, N.C.  Gerry Broome, APFullscreen A pedestrian crosses a snow-covered North Queen Street in Lancaster, Pa. The latest storm to roll off nature's assembly line spread heavy snow and sleet along the Northeast corridor.  Dan Marschka, Intelligencer Journal, via APFullscreen A man shovels snow along Orange Street in Lancaster, Pa.  Dan Marschka, Intelligencer Journal, via APFullscreen Chris Starace works to clear snow from his home's roof in Ossining, N.Y.  Craig Ruttle, APFullscreen Wake County Deputy Alvis Speight tags an abandoned car with police tape signifying permission to tow on Highway 70 East in Raleigh, N.C. Hundreds of cars were abandoned overnight around the North Carolina triangle as motorists encountered icy conditions.  Sara D. Davis, Getty ImagesFullscreen Wake County Deputy Alvis Speight peers into an abandoned car on Highway 70 East in Raleigh, N.C., on Feb. 13.  Sara D. Davis, Getty ImagesFullscreen Repair crews work to restore power after a winter storm downed power lines in Fairburn, Ga.  John Amis, APFullscreen People help push a stranded motorist stuck in deep snow on Stefko Boulevard in Bethlehem, Pa.  Chris Post, APFullscreen Snow blowing from trees swirls behind George Henzel of Winchester, Va., as he clears sidewalks for neighbors Feb. 13.  Jeff Taylor, The Winchester Star via APFullscreen Workers clear snow on Capitol Hill in Washington.  J. Scott Applewhite, APFullscreen Ludovic Hood and daughter Saskia put the finishing touches on a snowman near the Capitol in Washington.  J. Scott Applewhite, APFullscreen People sled on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington.  Win McNamee, Getty ImagesFullscreen Snow slides down and collects at the base of the escalators at the Dupont Circle subway station in Washington.  Chip Somodevilla, Getty ImagesFullscreen Nolan Danchik, left, and his son, Brenan Danchik, build a snow sculpture in Dupont Circle in Washington.  Chip Somodevilla, Getty ImagesFullscreen Abandoned cars line Highway 70 East in Raleigh, N.C. Hundreds of cars were abandoned overnight as motorists encountered icy conditions.  Sara D. Davis, Getty ImagesFullscreen Employees of ACME Towing prepare to tow a car from the median on Highway 70 East in Raleigh, N.C.  Sara D. Davis, Getty ImagesFullscreen A worker spreads salt in New York's Times Square on Feb. 13 as a winter storm rolled into the area.  Jason Szenes, epaFullscreen A person walks through the snow on Feb. 13 in New York City.  Spencer Platt, Getty ImagesFullscreen Children walk to school during a snowstorm in New York City on Feb. 13.  John Moore, Getty ImagesFullscreen Workers clear snow from a public sidewalk in Alexandria, Va., Feb. 13.  Cliff Owen, APFullscreen A morning commuter walks in a plowed road in Philadelphia.  Matt Rourke, APFullscreen Michel Huebner brushes snow off her van in Bethesda, Md.  H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAYFullscreen Bob Hachey uses a snowblower to clear snow from his driveway in Bethesda, Md.  H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAYFullscreen Chris Huebner shovels snow off his sidewalk in the Wood Acres neighborhood of Bethesda, Md.  H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAYFullscreen Sisters Skylar ,11, left, and Hailey Huebner, 8, play in the snow at their Bethesda home.  H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAYFullscreen Bob Hachey clears snow from his Bethesda driveway.  H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAYFullscreen People help push a car stuck in the snow during a snowstorm in Alexandria, Va., on Feb. 13.  Michael Reynolds, epaFullscreen At dawn, four trucks plow snow from an Arlington, Va., road.  Michael Reynolds, epaFullscreen A bicyclist rides through a snowstorm in the Chinatown neighborhood of New York City.  Mark Lennihan, APFullscreen Pedestrians use umbrellas as they walk through falling snow in the Chinatown neighborhood of New York.  Mark Lennihan, APFullscreen A woman walks through the snow in the Chinatown neighborhood of New York.  Mark Lennihan, APFullscreen Interstate 95 remains largely untraveled as mixed winter precipitation falls in Philadelphia.  Matt Rourke, APFullscreen Snow arcs in the air as it is removed from the driveway at the White House in Washington.  Jacquelyn Martin, APFullscreen Workers clear snow from a sidewalk in Chevy Chase, Md., early on Feb. 13. A deadly ice and snow storm moving across the Southeast stranded scores of people on slick roads and knocked out power to hundreds of thousands.  Mandel Ngan, AFP/Getty ImagesFullscreen A plow clears a residential street in Chevy Chase.  Mandel Ngan, AFP/Getty ImagesFullscreen Police officers stand guard in front of the White House in Washington amid heavy snowfall early in the day.  Mladen Antonov, AFP/Getty ImagesFullscreen People make snow angels in front of the Lincoln Memorial before sunrise.  Mladen Antonov, AFP/Getty ImagesFullscreen A woman walks next to the Reflecting Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial amid gusty snowfall early in the day.  Mladen Antonov, AFP/Getty ImagesFullscreen Blowing snow is illuminated early in the day at the U.S. Capitol in Washington.  Mladen Antonov, AFP/Getty ImagesFullscreen A young man on skis and his friends traverse the east side of the Capitol grounds in Washington amid early-morning snowfall.  Mladen Antonov, AFP/Getty ImagesFullscreen A worker uses a shovel to dig out a small plow that got stuck while trying to clear snow from a sidewalk in Chevy Chase, Md.  Mandel Ngan, AFP/Getty ImagesFullscreen A worker clears snow from a sidewalk in Chevy Chase.  Mandel Ngan, AFP/Getty ImagesFullscreen Heavy snowfall forms doughnut-shaped mounds on patio tables outside a restaurant in Chevy Chase.  Mandel Ngan, AFP/Getty ImagesFullscreen Workers use snow blowers to clear snow from a sidewalk in Chevy Chase.  Mandel Ngan, AFP/Getty ImagesFullscreen A worker clears snow from a sidewalk in Chevy Chase.  Mandel Ngan, AFP/Getty ImagesFullscreen A statue of a police officer stands ankle deep in snow in Chevy Chase.  Mandel Ngan, AFP/Getty ImagesFullscreen Workers help a car get moving in Chevy Chase.  Mandel Ngan, AFP/Getty ImagesFullscreen A worker is illuminated by a driveway light as he clears snow from a sidewalk in Chevy Chase.  Mandel Ngan, AFP/Getty ImagesFullscreen Snow plows push snow off of Pennsylvania Avenue near the U.S. Capitol in Washington.  Mark Wilson, Getty ImagesFullscreen A police officer redirects traffic Feb. 12, as a winter storm moves into the area in Charlotte, N.C.  Chuck Burton, APFullscreen Priscilla Cygielnik waits in the snow and cold for The Star Line trolley in Roanoke, Va.  Erica Yoon, The Roanoke Times, via APFullscreen Madison Jackson, bottom, Madilyn Bonsall, and Julia Jackson sled down a hill in El Dorado, Ark. Most businesses around El Dorado opted to open later in the day after a winter storm dumped a wintry mix on the area.  Michael Orrell, The El Dorado News-Times, via APFullscreen Griffin Power workers Leroy Brown, in bucket truck, Brian Roberts and Rusty Spear work on downed power lines in Griffin, Ga. A combination of sleet, snow and freezing rain was expected to coat power lines and tree branches with more than an inch of ice between Atlanta and Augusta.  Kent D. Johnson, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, via APFullscreen Pedestrians help a motorist after her car ended up facing the wrong way while trying to make it up the hill on Hawthorne Road at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., as snow falls.  Lauren Carroll, Winston-Salem Journal, via APFullscreen Sean Morris, who said he normally sleeps outside, reads on a cot in the old Adamsville Recreation Center, which was being used as an emergency shelter for 100 people, in Atlanta due to the weather.  Ben Gray, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, via APFullscreen An aisle for bottled water was cleared out at a Kroger store in Atlanta.  Ben Gray, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, via APFullscreen Georgia Department of Transporation snow plow operator Lynn Shook stops to clean off his windshield while plowing snow and ice on U.S. Highway 75 in Cleveland, Ga. Georgia utility companies say more than 177,000 customers were without power as ice coated trees and brought branches and power lines down on Wednesday.  Curtis Compton, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, via APFullscreen A worker with the El Dorado Street Department tosses sand out of a dump truck in El Dorado, Ark.  Michael Orrell, The El Dorado News-Times, via APFullscreen A motorist, right, who abandoned a vehicle, walks through stopped traffic on northbound Interstate 85 during a winter storm in Durham, N.C.  Chuck Liddy, APFullscreen A Highway Patrol officer checks on the well being of a stranded motorist on Hammond Road during a winter storm in Raleigh, N.C.  Travis Long, The News & Observer, via APFullscreen Kevin Miller looks out of the window of his friend's while stopped during a storm in Raleigh, N.C.  Scott Sharpe, The News & Observer, via APFullscreen Francios Bigand helps push a car as it attempts to climb a hill on Boylan Avenue in Raleigh, N.C.  Travis Long, The News & Observer, via APFullscreen Traffic is stalled along Independence Boulevard near Hawthorne Lane as vehicles crawl along the slick roadway in Charlotte, N.C.  Davie Hinshaw, The Charlotte Observer via APFullscreen A police officer prepares to close a road as a winter storm moves into the area in Charlotte, N.C.  Chuck Burton, APFullscreen Workers remove trees and snapped power poles from a in Doraville, Ga.  John Amis, APFullscreen Georgia National Guard troops drive north on Hwy 129 as sleet and freezing rain falls on top of snow covered roads in Cleveland, Ga.  Curtis Compton, Atlanta Journal-Constitution via APFullscreen Jason Abney, a worker with Trees, Inc. from Tampa Bay, Fla., arrives at Cherokee High School in Canton, Ga. with his tree trimming truck. Several other crews contracted by Georgia Power to assist with the removal of downed trees caused by the winter storm were also meeting there.  Kelly J. Huff, The Marietta Daily Journal via APFullscreen A road sign warns drivers of winter weather as they travel a bleak section of Hwy. 141 in Norcross, Ga.  John Amis, APFullscreen Breton Nicholas, a student at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C., walks outside the Dean E. Smith Center prior to a basketball game between North Carolina and Duke. Breton carries his friends belongings after waiting outside for tickets to tonight's game.  Gerry Broome, APFullscreen Stranded travelers rest in the main terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport during a severe winter storm.  Erik S. Lesser, epaFullscreen Cancelled flights are displayed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.  Erik S. Lesser, epaFullscreenLike this topic? 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