Powerful Winter Storm Affecting Millions

NEW YORK (AP) — A massive snowstorm is pummeling the northeast United States, forcing millions of people to stay homes amid strong wind and blizzard warnings, transportation shutdowns, and school and business closures. The storm hit the metropolitan northeast as accumulations from an earlier snowfall had just melted away — except for gray mountainous piles in parking lots and along the side of roads. Officials have declared emergencies from Delaware to Massachusetts, and hundreds of thousands of people are grappling with power failure from downed electrical lines. Even as digging out began, the National Weather Service warned Monday that perilous conditions could persist and called travel conditions “extremely treacherous” and “nearly impossible” in areas hit hardest by the storm.  Air traffic is also coming to a standstill in much of the region, with thousands of flight cancellations piling up across major hubs like New York and Boston. And trains have suspended some of their service.