Wintry weather keeps deadly hold on U.S.

MANCHESTER, N.H., Dec. 13 (UPI) -- Winter-like storms blamed for at least two dozen deaths in the central United States moved east Thursday to the mid-Atlantic region and New England.

In Connecticut, state troopers responded to more than 100 crashes in the hours after the storm started, The Hartford Courant reported. One of the worst hit areas was Hartford, Conn., where two interstates meet in the center of the city. In Manchester, outside Hartford, two tractor-trailers jackknifed, partly blocking an icy I-84.

"We're holding our head above water," said Trooper William Tate, a state police spokesman. "It's just a matter of getting through the storm."

The National Weather Service predicted as much as 10 inches of snow in parts of New Jersey and 6 inches in neighboring states.

In the central United States, thousands of people remained without power after ice storms, with Oklahoma hit the worst. Hotels were filled by people without electricity or heat at home, and restaurants reported heavy business from those seeking a hot meal.