Winter storm death toll climbs to 34

A powerful winter storm that barreled across the central U.S. toward the East Coast over the weekend has killed at least 34 people.

The winter storm’s death toll climbed from 31 confirmed deaths as of Christmas Day, with hurricane-force winds, heavy snowfall and frigid cold temperatures leading to extreme and dangerous conditions across much of the U.S.

Buffalo, N.Y., is the hardest-hit area in the country, where at least 43 inches of snow fell as of Sunday morning.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) on Sunday called it the “worst-ever storm” to hit the city and said she was in contact with the White House for federal aid.

“Large tow trucks buried, and even some snow plows off the road,” Hochul tweeted. “We will continue to work around the clock with local leaders to respond to this historic storm.”

At least 13 people have died in Erie County, which includes Buffalo. In neighboring Niagara County, one person died.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz reported the 13 deaths as of Christmas Day. The deaths include four people who were found outside.

“Unfortunately, we do expect that number to grow,” Poloncarz tweeted on Sunday night.

At least 10 people have died from weather-related car crashes in Ohio, including four people in a traffic pileup on Christmas Eve. Should you leave water dripping during a deep freeze? Officials in California demand answers after puppy mistakenly euthanized

Other storm-related automobile deaths were reported in Kansas, Missouri and Kentucky. At least two people died in Colorado Springs, Colo., in subzero temperatures.

The blizzard conditions left tens of thousands of people without power and also canceled thousands of flights this weekend, leading to widespread travel disruptions on Christmas weekend.

The storm, which spanned the Great Lakes in the north toward the border with Mexico in the south, is expected to weaken over the next few days and arctic temperatures will slow or moderate along the East Coast.