In the western New York city, people banded together in the aftermath of a devastating storm. A lot of people are helping others by shoveling or providing food.
An atmospheric river is a relatively narrow channel of wind, hence the "river," that transports water vapor from the tropics to the West Coast, where it's producing rain and heavy winds.
NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Lyn Montgomery, the president of TWU Local 556, which represents Southwest flight attendants. Holiday travelers are stranded after the airline canceled flights.
National Weather Service senior forecaster Bob Oravec talks to NPR's A Martinez about a weather system that is pounding the West Coast with heavy rain, winds and snow.
The city in western New York was among the hardest hit by snow and cold. At least 31 people in Erie County were killed because of the storm as of Tuesday evening, according to the health department.
Officials in the Buffalo, N.Y., area say more than two dozen people are dead after a massive winter storm. Warmer weather could bring flooding as the snow melts.
The disruptions add to chaos that has left people stranded at airports across the country, many of them with little idea of when they can get home or where their bags are.
More than half the deaths occurred in western New York, which struggled with super-size snow drifts that snarled emergency vehicles. Buffalo's responders rescued hundreds trapped in cars.