India, Jan. 25 -- A massive winter storm sweeping across the United States has triggered widespread travel disruptions, power outages and emergency measures, forcing the cancellation of thousands of flights and placing nearly half the country under weather warnings.

More than 140 million people, over 40 per cent of the US population, were under winter storm alerts stretching from New Mexico to New England on Saturday.

The National Weather Service warned of heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain through Monday, followed by several days of dangerously cold temperatures.

Air travel was severely hit, with nearly 13,000 flights cancelled nationwide over Saturday and Sunday, according to FlightAware. Major airports, including Dallas-Fort Worth...