80,000 Still Without Power Across South

More than 80,000 people remained without power across the South in the wake of a wintry Christmas Eve storm, including 66,000 in Virginia. At least three Virginians died of the cold in their homes, and traffic deaths were blamed on the weather across the South. A utility worker died in Alabama when he touched a live wire. In the Pacific Northwest, a storm caused widespread power outages and filled streams to overflowing. More than a foot of snow in Washington’s Cascades created a threat of avalanche, prompting closure of the two main east-west highways until midday. At least 4,000 travelers were forced to turn around, take detours of up to 100 miles or wait.