A powerful winter storm is battering four US states today, forcing mountain pass closures and creating life-threatening conditions as authorities urge residents to avoid all non-essential travel.
Idaho, Montana, Washington and Colorado are experiencing snowfall of up to 61 centimetres (24 inches), with wind gusts reaching 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph), rendering roads impassable across the northern Rockies. The severe weather system has already paralysed transport networks across multiple high-altitude mountain passes.
