Northeast US hit with another winter blast

BOSTON — The latest blast of snow to hit the northeastern United States dumped more than a foot(30 centimeters) in part of Massachusetts and packed heavy winds that left thousands without power Sunday on Cape Cod.

The weekend snowstorm comes on the heels of an earlier storm that blanketed the East Coast with snow and ice, caused at least 25 deaths and left hundreds of thousands without power.

In Canada, the city of Toronto has called an extreme cold weather alert as the temperature is expected to drop to -15 degrees Celsius (5 degrees Fahrenheit) on Sunday night. The alert, in effect until further notice, was called to trigger additional services for the homeless.

Canada's Atlantic provinces are bracing for a blast of winter weather. Environment Canada says the storm will move toward Newfoundland on Sunday, with heavy snow and high winds expected across the island. The storm comes days after a fierce mix of snow, rain and wind closed schools and left thousands of customers without power in parts of eastern Canada.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police in parts of Newfoundland were warning residents only to venture out in emergencies because of whiteout driving conditions.

Coastal areas in Maine and south of Boston appeared to get the worst of the storm overnight. In Massachusetts, 15 inches(38 centimeters) of snow was reported in Sandwich and 10 inches(25.4 centimeters) was reported in New Bedford and Plymouth.

In Maine, 17 inches(43 centimeters) was reported in Hancock. A winter storm warning remained in effect in northeast Maine through the afternoon, the National Weather Service said.

Wind gusts of more than 50 mph (80 kph) were reported Saturday night on Cape Cod, where utility NStar said about 3,200 customers were without power on Sunday, down by more than half from earlier in the day.