Northeast Snowstorms: Firefighters Free Trapped Resident

LORRAINE, NY — East of Lake Ontario in New York, a mountain of snow engulfed a female resident of Lorraine after winter storms dumped about 6 feet of powder on the upstate town. Eventually, she was freed when firefighters used a payloader to dig her out of the snowy encasement.

Lorraine is not the only area suffering under a torrent of winter snow and plunging temperatures. In nearby Watertown, the temperatures fell to minus 32 degrees on Thursday morning. Meanwhile, wind chill advisories or warnings are in effect for much of New England, northern Pennsylvania and New York. Thebitter cold weather has taken hold of much of the northern United States and is expected to stay put for days to come.

Freezing temperatures and below-zero wind chills have come to Erie, Pennsylvania, where people continue to dig out from a storm that has dumped more than 65 inches of snow on the city. Forecasters warn of hypothermia and frostbite as arctic air settles.

The snow and ensuing cold snap has led to cancelled events and pushed officials to scramble across the northern tier of the U.S. to find help for the homeless and those who struggle with heating costs.

Cleveland officials say four recreation centers will remain open as warming centers at least until Saturday. A "polar bear plunge" in New Jersey in which hardy swimmers planned to jump into the Atlantic Ocean on Monday was canceled because of the cold. But similar events in other nearby towns stayed on the books.

The National Weather Service reports International Falls and Hibbing, Minnesota, set record low temperatures Wednesday. International Falls, the self-proclaimed Icebox of the Nation, plunged to 37 degrees below zero, while Hibbing bottomed out at 28 below.

The harsh conditions underscore a stark reality for low-income Americans who rely on heating aid: Their dollars aren't going to go as far this winter.

The Department of Energy has projected energy fuel costs are going to track upward. That falls on the heels of two winters when costs were relatively low.

Mark Wolfe is an official with the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association. He says the good news is that President Donald Trump has released 90 percent of the energy assistance funding. Trump previously tried to eliminate the program altogether.

Wolfe says he is urging lawmakers to press to release the rest of the money.

Lead image: Payloader moves snow in Maryland after 2010 storm. AP Photo/Todd Dudek