Bomb Cyclone, Winter Storm Elliott: More than 1.5 million without power, frigid air overtakes U.S.

More than 200 million people -- around 60% of the population -- were under an advisory or warning on Friday, the National Weather Service said. The weather service's map “depicts one of the greatest extents of winter weather warnings and advisories ever,” forecasters said.

Power outages have left about 1.4 million homes and businesses in the dark, according to the website Power Outage, which tracks utility reports. Utilities in Nashville, Memphis and throughout the Tennessee Valley said they were implementing rolling blackouts Friday to conserve power as the region battles an extreme cold front.

*At Least 9 Deaths Attributed to Winter Storm*

At least nine deaths have been attributed to the major winter storm moving across the country over the past few days, and two others are believed to have been caused by treacherous driving conditions but require further investigation, officials said.

Much of Canada, from British Columbia to Newfoundland, is also under extreme cold and winter storm warnings. Several school boards in Ontario, including Toronto, have cancelled classes.

*This storm is set to bring the iciest Christmas in decades, say forecasters.*
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2. A historic and brutal winter storm put some 240 million Americans under severe weather warnings Friday as the United States faced holiday travel chaos, with thousands of flights cancelled and major highways closed.

Heavy snow and howling winds upended holiday plans for millions at one of the busiest times of the year, just days before Christmas, as a huge cold front swept down from the Arctic and took freezing hold of much of the nation, including normally temperate southern states.

Temperatures plunged below -41 degrees Celsius in some locations, with a staggering 240 million people -- some 72 percent of the US population -- under winter weather warnings or advisories, according to the National Weather Service.