A blustery winter storm dumped snow and ice across the American west on Wednesday, making driving treacherous in the mountains from California to the Rockies and forcing residents and party-goers in some usually sun-soaked cities to bundle up for a frosty New Year’s.
Giddy residents in Southern California foothills snapped photos of snow-covered lawns as kids tossed snowballs. In suburban Phoenix, swimming pools and cactus-lined backyards were dusted with the white stuff.
Those planning to usher in 2015 along the Las Vegas Strip or watch flower-decorated floats in the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, were bracing for near-freezing temperatures.
Marco Berri, 26, of Brazil said he would likely buy some scarves and gloves to keep warm in Las Vegas, but the cold wouldn’t keep him inside.
Several more beach homes have crashed into the ocean along North Carolina’s Outer Banks, littering the...
