Frigid air socks Great Plains, Midwest

Some 250,000 customers remained without power in far-upstate New York and northern New England due to ice, as frigid air blew into the northern United States. Dangerously cold wind chills were forecast for parts of Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri and Illinois, and other parts of the Great Plains and Midwest Christmas Eve, the National Weather Service said. Wind chills could reach minus-20 degrees to minus-40 degrees Fahrenheit in areas where wind child warnings and advisories are in effect, the weather service said. Wind chills in parts of Minnesota could reach 45 degrees below zero, CNN said. Farther east, snow showers were forecast to accompany cold temperatures in areas that had record highs over the weekend, the weather service said. Lake-effect snow was expected to fall from the West Virginia mountains to western Pennsylvania, northeastern Ohio and northwestern New York into Tuesday evening, AccuWeather said. Snow enough to lightly coat the ground was expected north of Philadelphia to New York City and northwestern Connecticut, the weather service said. In update New York's "north country" approaching Canada and northern New England, utility workers scrambled to restore power to an estimated 250,000 customers after a weekend ice storm knocked down trees and power lines. In Maine, where nearly 100,000 customers were still without power early Tuesday, service was expected to be out in some places until Friday, utilities quoted by the Bangor (Maine) Daily News said.