Extreme weather upsets travel across Europe, US

FRANKFURT/OSLO/PORTLAND, Oregon — Heavy snow and freezing rain in parts of northern and central Europe grounded hundreds of flights and disrupted train travel on Wednesday, while an ice storm in the US Pacific Northwest turned roads and mountain highways treacherous.

Germany's massive Frankfurt airport canceled all flights in the early afternoon as jets could no longer be de-iced, but later resumed service with a limited capacity, a spokesperson said, adding that the situation remained uncertain.

The airport in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, also reopened but said it faced big delays that had left many passengers stranded.

"This is extremely rare... there is so much snow that the pilots can't see the lights on the ground, so we've halted all incoming and outgoing flights," said a spokesperson for Norway's national airport operator Avinor.

In neighboring Sweden, heavy snow led to multiple traffic incidents in the western and southern parts, causing traffic jams along several key roads.

In the United States, a power line fell on a parked car in northeastern Portland, Oregon, on Wednesday, killing three people and injuring a baby.

Around Portland, driving and even walking were virtually impossible as slick ice coated roads and sidewalks. Icicles dangled from roofs and cars, and ice encased branches, plants and leaves like thick glass.

Freezing rain could return to the region on Thursday evening through Friday morning, the National Weather Service said.

Agencies Via Xinhua