Warning of near white-out conditions in Chicago

Washington - A potent winter storm stretching across all or parts of more than 20 US states prompted a blizzard warning for Chicago, while other areas dealt with snow or a wintry mix of snow and rain.

The National Weather Service in Chicago said the blizzard warning would remain in effect until midnight (06:00 GMT on Monday). The city and several surrounding counties were expecting snowfall measuring between 25 and 40cm and winds gusting up to 66km/h. 

The weather service warned of near white-out conditions in Chicago, adding that "the combination of the snow and very strong winds will make travel extraordinarily dangerous".

On Sunday afternoon the storm stretched across 18 states - from Nebraska in the central United States to Maine in the north-east. Other major cities in the path of the storm include Detroit, Cleveland, New York City and Boston.

Just to the south of area of snow, freezing rain is possible. Beyond the blizzard warning for Chicago, the weather service posted numerous winter storm warnings.

The storm also caused the cancellation of more than 2 000 flights, according to Flight Aware, a web-based flight tracking service.