Subfreezing weather batters Europe

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WARSAW, Poland, Dec 20 (AP): Snowstorms and subfreezing temperatures have battered Europe, killing 29 people in Poland alone and wreaking havoc on air, train and car travelers from the Nordics to Italy on the last weekend before Christmas.
France's civil aviation authority ordered the cancellation of 40 percent of flights out of Paris' Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports Sunday through mid-afternoon.
Belgium was also badly hit, while travelers at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport faced delays and cancellations.
In western Germany, Duesseldorf airport was closed because of heavy snowfall, with flights canceled or rerouted.
Eurostar trains through the Channel Tunnel weren't running Sunday as officials tried to pinpoint the problem that led four trains to come to a halt in the tunnel linking England and France, leaving passengers stranded for hours Saturday.
Police appealed Sunday to Poles to alert police if they come across homeless or drunk people lying outdoors, attempting to lower the number of people who die each winter from the bitter cold.
In Austria, authorities reported two people froze to death as they tried to make their way home after evenings out.
In Germany, temperatures sank to between minus 15 and minus 20 Celsius (5 and minus 4 Fahrenheit) overnight across much of the country.
In Italy, where winters are generally milder, heavy snow and subfreezing temperatures were causing
In Finland, at least four people were killed in road accidents after an afternoon blizzard dropped up to 20 centimeters, or nearly 8 inches (20 centimeters), of snow onto icy roads.
AFP adds: The US federal government was closed Monday after a record-breaking snowstorm swept across the northeastern United States and put a damper on one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year.
Just days before Christmas, the eastern seaboard from North Carolina to New England was digging out from the worst blizzard in years, which closed train and bus service, paralyzed air traffic, crippled motorists and left hundreds of thousands of residents without power in some areas.
And with the roads and transportation in disarray, many churches canceled Sunday services and some schools planned closures ahead of the December 25 holiday.
In Washington, crews worked throughout the night to restore service to the Metrorail system, de-icing tracks and digging train cars out of the snow in rail yards.