Jay Ericson clears snow off branches weighing down on power lines at his home following a snowstorm in Glastonbury, Connecticut (AP)
12 April 2012
Hundreds of schools across the north-east of the United States are closed after an unseasonably early storm dumped up to 30 inches of snow that snapped power lines and left utilities struggling to restore service to millions of customers.
By late on Sunday, the number of power outages had dipped to below three million and continued falling.
But officials in some states warned that it could be days or even up to a week before residents and businesses have power again, even though utility companies have brought in additional crews and are working around the clock.
Concerns over young people's safety have prompted some communities to cancel or postpone Halloween trick-or-treating.
