Winter storm hits the U.S. Midwest, knocking out power to thousands By Reuters

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(Reuters) – A massive winter storm across the U.S. Midwest knocked out power to more than 250,000 customers in Michigan and Wisconsin on Friday ahead of a brutal freeze expected to hit the region starting this weekend.

About 151,203 homes and businesses were without power in Michigan, according to data from , a website that tracks, records and aggregates data on power outages in the United States.

In Wisconsin, 102,692 customers were without power as of midnight Friday.

Winds and blinding snow Friday delayed more than 7,600 flights across the U.S., including one that landed at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

In Iowa, Republican presidential candidates canceled an event three days before the state convention, the first statewide primary where each party selects candidates in the November election.

The extreme weather is reminiscent of the December 2022 winter storm (known in the energy industry as Elliott) that nearly caused the freeze and collapse of February 2021, which knocked out power, water and heat for days in Texas and other central states. Power and systems in the eastern part of the country.

The storm is coming ahead of what is expected to be the coldest weather in the U.S. since December 2022, according to data from financial firm LSEG.