Happening now a crisis of epic proportion. That's how the governor of New York is

describing the deadly winter storm in the western part of the state. Buffalo and other cities are struggling to dig out of 43 inches of snow and freezing temperatures and power outages.

I'll talk with the Buffalo Police Commissioner this hour.

Many Americans are still feeling the effects of the Arctic blast, including millions of air travelers,

Southwest Airlines experiencing massive disruptions with more than 65% of its flights

canceled just today, adding to the holiday travel chaos.

Also tonight, Vladimir Putin claims he's ready to negotiate a solution to the Ukraine war.

But a key Ukrainian official says the Russian president needs to get back to reality as Moscow continues to slaughter innocent civilians.

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world.

I'm Wolf Blitzer, you're in the situation room.

We begin this hour with the deadly weather emergency in Western New York.

Governor Kathy Hockel is calling it, and I'm quoting her now, the Blizzard of the Century.

And she's warning it is far from over.

See, as Polos-Sondoval is joining us right now from my hometown,

Hard-hit Buffalo, New York.

Polo, so what are the conditions there right now?

Well, we'll first predicted by Erie County officials, the total number of people who have lost their lives to this horrendous storm here in Buffalo has once again gone up.

The total now 27 and expected to continue to rise.

That figure already surpassing a death toll from that historic blizzard in 1977.

That statistic, a certain grim reminder of the extraordinary nature of the storm.

This is the worst that we can.

In Buffalo, New York, it's being called the most devastating storm ever.

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