A brutal winter storm has knocked out power in California, closed interstate highways from Arizona to Wyoming and prompted more than 1,500 flight cancellations — and the worst won’t be over for several days.

Few places were untouched by the wild weather, some at the opposite extreme: long-standing record highs were broken in cities in the midwest, mid-Atlantic and southeast. The wintry mix was hitting hard in the northern tier of the nation, closing schools, offices, even shutting down the Minnesota legislature.

Travel was difficult. Weather contributed to more than 1,500 US flight cancellations on Wednesday, according to the tracking service FlightAware. More than 400 of those were due to arrive or depart from the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Another 5,000-plus flights were delayed across the country. In the Pacific northwest, high winds and heavy snow in the Cascade Mountains prevented search teams from reaching the bodies of three climbers killed in an avalanche on Washington’s Colchuck Peak over the weekend. Powerful winds were the biggest problem in California, toppling trees and power lines.

AP/PTI