California firefighters battled wind-whipped wildfires that tore across the Los Angeles area, destroying homes and clogging roadways as tens of thousands fled.
Frigid air that normally stays in the Arctic has escaped, plunging deep into the United States for an extended visit that is expected to provoke teeth-chattering but not be record-shattering.
Wildfires roaring through the Los Angeles area left neighborhoods in ruins Wednesday, killing at least two as residents escaped through flames driven by hurricane-force winds.