Pakistan, Jan. 26 -- A powerful winter storm swept across a large swath of the United States (US) on Sunday, bringing heavy snow, sleet, freezing rain and bitter Arctic cold to much of the country east of the Rocky Mountains, disrupting travel and straining power and energy systems.

Read More: Snowstorm triggers 100-vehicle pile-up in Michigan

Winter storm warnings were issued across most of the eastern third of the US, affecting an estimated 118 million people, according to the National Weather Service. In total, around 157 million Americans were urged to brace for extreme cold, with temperatures plunging below zero near the Canadian border and falling below freezing as far south as the Gulf of Mexico.

The storm, which developed late ...