Winter storm heads east after lashing south with snow, tornadoes; 6 dead

(AP) -- A powerful winter storm system that pounded the nation's midsection is headed toward the Northeast, wrecking travel plans and knocking out power to thousands of homes.

At least six deaths are being blamed on the storm, which spawned Gulf Coast region tornadoes on Christmas Day and a historic amount of snow in Arkansas before pushing through the Upper Ohio Valley and heading toward the Northeast on Wednesday.

The aviation tracking website FlightAware.com says more than 1,400 flights have been canceled. The New York City-area's three major airports are experiencing hour-long delays.

Scores of motorists have gotten stuck on icy roads or have slid into drifts.

A National Weather Service meteorologist in Indianapolis says he's describing the storm as a low-end blizzard "but that's sort of like saying a small Tyrannosaurus rex."