Death toll from winter storm rises, power outages continue

At least 37 people are dead after a winter storm swept much of the U.S. in the days leading up to Christmas.

Seventeen of the storm deaths were reported in New York, where blizzard conditions buried Buffalo in snow, leaving residents stuck in vehicles and trapped in freezing homes. Emergency vehicles were also trapped by the snow, with crews bailing out and unable to respond to calls for help as ambulances and firetrucks were stuck in snow drifts and whiteout conditions.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said almost every fire truck in the city was stranded Saturday and implored people Sunday to respect an ongoing driving ban in the region. Officials said the airport would be shut through Tuesday morning. The National Weather Service said the snow total at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport stood at 43 inches at 7 a.m. Sunday.

Huge snowdrifts nearly covered cars and there were thousands of houses, some adorned in unlit holiday displays, dark from a lack of power.