Photos

A man looks at piles of firewood at an open air wood market near the Bulgarian capital Sofia, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009. Bulgaria's energy ministry says Russian gas supplies to Bulgaria are suspended for an indefinite period, along with supplies to other European countries, Turkey, Greece and Macedonia. (AP Photo/Petar Petrov)

A father skates at sunset with his children on a frozen lake near Neckartailfingen, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009. (AP Photo/Thomas Kienzle)

A girl plays with snow in Ametlla del Valles near of Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009. Heavy snow falls have put the north of Spain on alert. Arctic weather that has killed at least 10 people in recent days kept Europe freezing, coating much of the continent in snow and disrupting air and road traffic. (AP Photo / Manu Fernandez)

Pink flamingos take off from Vaccares pond close to the gypsy village of Les Saintes Maries de la Mer on January 7, 2009 France. (Photo by Pascal Parrot/Getty Images)

A layer of snow covers boats in Marseille's old harbor, southern France, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009. Snow and freezing temperatures hit southern France Wednesday. (AP Photo/Claude Paris)

A young man rides down the hill of Cathedral Notre Dame de la Garde on January 7, 2009 in Marseille, France. (Photo by Pascal Parrot/Getty Images)

A layer of snow covers tables and chairs of a pavement area in Marseille's old harbor, southern France, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009. Subfreezing temperatures and exceptional snowfall caused problems across much of Europe on Wednesday, temporarily closing Milan's two airports, halting trains in the normally sunny south of France and pressing into service ice breakers in the Dutch port of Rotterdam. (AP Photo/Claude Paris)

A couple shelters under an umbrella in the old harbour on January 7, 2009 in Marseille, France. (Photo by Pascal Parrot/Getty Images)

A man skiis in the Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde basilica area, after 15 cms of snow fell, in Marseille, southern France, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009. Subfreezing temperatures and exceptional snowfall caused problems across much of Europe on Wednesday, temporarily closing Milan's two airports, halting trains in the normally sunny south of France and pressing into service ice breakers in the Dutch port of Rotterdam. (AP Photo/Claude Paris)

A man rides a cart pulled by two horses in Camargue on January 7, 2009 close to the gypsy village of Les Saintes Maries de la Mer, France.. (Photo by Pascal Parrot/Getty Images)

A boy reaches out to touch the frozen fountain water in Trafalgar Square, London, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009. Temperatures dropped to nearly -12 Celsius (10.4 Fahrenheit ) in parts of southern England overnight in the coldest period of Britain's freezing spell so far. The National gallery is seem in the background. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

A duck walks across a frozen pond near Ashford southern England as freezing temperatures continued across large areas of Britain Wednesday Jan. 7, 2009. Southern England, normally immune to the worst of the weather, as overnight temperatures fell close to minus 12 Celsius (10.4 Fahrenheit) in some areas. (AP Photo/Gareth Fuller/PA)

A man walks during an heavy snowfall in downtown Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Jan.7, 2009. Wednesday was the second day of heavy snowfall in this part of the country. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

A worker shovels snow near the gothic cathedral known as the "Duomo", in downtown Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Jan.7, 2009. Wednesday was the second day of heavy snowfall in this part of the country. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Gulls fly over Amstel river after a boat cleared a path through the ice in the center of Amsterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday Jan. 7, 2009, with the Philips Tower in background. The Netherlands have been hit by a spell of cold weather. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Aleksander Antonyenko, places firewood cut from the nearby forest onto a wood burning stove to heat his home in Ukrainka, Ukraine, on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009. Russian natural-gas exports through Ukraine to Europe halted for the first time in three years, threatening to create shortages as freezing weather spurred demand for power. (Andrei Mossienko/ Bloomberg News)

A FedEx jet flies into ice fog as it lands in Anchorage, Alaska Wednesday Jan. 7, 2009 in the subzero weather. Alaska is experiencing the third longest cold snap in its history with temperatures in some parts of in the interior have dipping to -65 Fahrenheit. (AP Photo/Al Grillo)

A skier practices on the race trail in the subzero weather at Kincaid Park in Anchorage, Ala. Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009 before the U.S. Cross Country Ski Championships were canceled due to the frigid weather. Alaska is experiencing the third longest cold snap in its history with temperatures in some parts of in the interior have dipping to -65. (AP Photo/Al Grillo)

A frost covered totem pole looks cold sitting outside of the Alaska Railroad depot in Anchorage, Alaska Tuesday Jan. 6, 2009 during what is the third longest cold snap in Alaska' history. Temperatures in Anchorage have been in the minus double digits and temperatures and in the interior have dipped to -65 in some areas. (AP Photo/Al Grillo)

Airplanes wait to take off at Charlotte Douglas International Airport Wednesday afternoon. Strong winds were reported at the time gusting to 40 mph. DAVIE HINSHAW - dhinshaw@charlotteobserver.com

Water almost a foot deep stands in a pasture on the Hickory-Lincolnton highway near Vale in Catawba County. Heavy rain dumped up to 2 inches in some areas overnight, leaving flooded bottom land and soggy fields in Lincoln and Catawba counties. JEFF WILLHELM - jwillhelm@charlotteobserver.com

Wind-whipped pedestrians walking along Trade Street in front of the Carillon Building in uptown Charlotte Wednesday afternoon passed a fallen tree that landed on a car, blocking traffic during the lunch hour. High winds snapped the tree trunk, toppling it into the street. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police blocked off Trade Street as a precaution to keep any vehicles from traveling in the area. T.ORTEGA GAINES-ogaines@charlotteobserver.com

Progress Energy's David Buckner stands near rubble from a house in the Maggie Valley area in far western North Carolina lies where it stopped after a mudslide destroyed it Wednesday morning, Jan. 7, 2009. Emergency crews evacuated eight other homes in the Maggie Valley area. Thousands of people lost power across the Carolinas as a cold front swept the region with wind and rain. (Steve Dixon/Asheville Citizen-Times via AP)

Strong winds blew this tree down about 3:30 P.M. Wednesday afternoon at The Retreat apartments off Bevington Place in southeast Charlotte, damaging one car. DAVIE HINSHAW - dhinshaw@charlotteobserver.com

A pedestrian walks against the blowing snow Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009 in downtown Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)

River Grove apartment residents watch the Puyallup River rise in Sumner, Wash., Jan. 7 2009. Sumner officials recommended nearly 400 residents to seek higher ground. The three main highways across the Cascade Range were closed and the National Weather Service issued flood warnings for a number of major rivers in western Washington. (AP Photo / Ingrid Barrentine)

Kayakers Matt Laird, left, Willie Jensen, and Ben Larson, all 17, paddle through a flooded street near downtown Snoqualmie, Wash., Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009. Rain and high winds lashed Washington state Wednesday, causing widespread avalanches, mudslides, flooding and road closures from rapid snowmelt. At least three people were rescued by boat. The three main highways across the Cascade Range were closed and the National Weather Service issued flood warnings for a number of major rivers in Western Washington. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Denise Mahnke, left, and son Sam, 13, run through flood waters after Mahnke picked him up because of closed schools Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009, in Carnation, Wash., near where the Tolt and Snoqualmie rivers meet. Rain and high winds lashed Washington state Wednesday, causing widespread avalanches, mudslides, flooding and road closures from rapid snowmelt. At least three people were rescued by boat. The three main highways across the Cascade Range were closed and the National Weather Service issued flood warnings for a number of major rivers in Western Washington. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Josh Myers, 17, carries his sister Nicole Myers, 15, through floodwaters from the Snoqualmie River near downtown Snoqualmie, Wash., Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009. Rain and high winds lashed Washington state Wednesday, causing widespread avalanches, mudslides, flooding and road closures from rapid snowmelt. At least three people were rescued by boat. The three main highways across the Cascade Range were closed and the National Weather Service issued flood warnings for a number of major rivers in Western Washington. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

An emergency vehicle travels down the closed Fall City-Carnation Rd N.E. near Carnation that is blocked from the overflowing Tolt river, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009 in Snoqualmie Valley, Wash. Rain and high winds lashed Washington state Wednesday, causing widespread avalanches, mudslides, flooding and road closures as the heavy snowfall that has buried parts of the state began to rapidly melt. (Steve Ringman/The Seattle Times via AP)

In this photo provided by the Washington State Department of Transportation, water rushes past a washed out road near Blewett Pass on U.S. highway 97 in Washington State on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009 in Washington State. (Washington State Department of Transportation via AP)

This photo provided by the Washington State Department of Transportation, shows the top of a huge mud and snow slide at the Summit East ski area at Snoqualmie Pass near Hyak, Wash. on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009. The slide damaged ski lift towers and several homes, but no injuries were reportered. (Washington State Department of Transportation via AP)

In this photo provided by the Washington State Department of Transportation, a member of Kittitas County Search and Rescue surveys the damage caused by a huge mud and snow slide at the Summit East ski area at Snoqualmie Pass near Hyak, Wash., on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009. The slide damaged ski lift towers and several homes, but no injuries were reported. (Washington State Department of Transportation via AP)

With Voight Creek lapping at his front door and his home sandwiched between the flooding Puyallup and Carbon Rivers, Don Steed, standing in the water, decided to stay in his home with wife Barb, not pictured, in Orting, Wash. on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009. Relentless rain caused major flooding in Orting and surrounding areas. His son-in-law Ben Swift stands inside, ready to help him evacuate. (Dean J. Koepfler/The News Tribune via AP)