A blustery winter storm that dropped nearly 2 feet of snow has led to at least nine deaths in the eastern half of the country.

Slick roads have caused traffic deaths in Michigan, Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois.

A massive pile of salt fell on a worker at a suburban Philadelphia storage facility, killing him.

And authorities say a woman with Alzheimer’s disease froze to death after she wandered away from her rural western New York home.

The snowstorm worked its way east from the Midwest and merged with low pressure off the mid-Atlantic coast, forming a nor’easter.

It temporarily shut down major highways in New York and Pennsylvania and forced airlines to cancel thousands of flights.

The snowfall, frigid temps and stiff winds also extended the holiday break for some students.

(AP)