Monster winter storm brings rain, snow, cold across US; snarls Christmas travel

Due to the winter storm, more than 2,700 US flights were canceled on Saturday, with total delays tallying more than 6,400, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware.

More than 5,000 flights were canceled on Friday.

Blinding blizzards, freezing rain and frigid cold have knocked out power from Maine to Seattle, while a major electricity grid operator warned the 65 million people it serves across the eastern US that rolling blackouts might be required. 

Due to the winter storm in the US, many electric companies have asked customers to conserve energy by not running large appliances and turning off unneeded lights.

Cities in Georgia and South Carolina - Athens and Charleston - were expected to record their coldest daytime Christmas Eve high temperatures, and Washington, DC, was forecast to experience its chilliest December 24 since 1989.

Minneapolis was the coldest spot in America on Saturday at minus-6 degrees Fahrenheit.

"I've never seen the likes of this kind of storm," said Darby, a lifelong resident of Williamsville outside Buffalo.

 "I can't even get out of my house, right now. The snow is up to my chest. You can't even walk through it because it's so heavy and thick," Darby added.