Authorities still were reporting snow drifts of up to 10 feet high in southeast Colorado, and Texas officials warned drivers to stay off the road in the Panhandle so crews would have a clear path to remove ice and snow.

MSN: Fierce winds and snow snarl Great Plains travel

It is open only for about five months of the year, from late June to November or early December, and requires icebreakers to cut a path through the Arctic ice for specially strengthened oil and gas carriers.

CNN: China eyes Arctic options in energy, transport

Two of the three whales made it to open water after rescuers used chain saws and de-icers from a Wisconsin company to create more breathing holes for the whales and a Soviet icebreaker cleared a path through the thickest ice.

CNN: Canadians rush to save 11 trapped killer whales

Scambos said the ice shelf is not currently on the path of the increasingly popular tourist ships that travel from South America to Antarctica.

CNN: Massive ice shelf on verge of breakup

But it had also dislodged vast chunks of ice from around the Pole and they had drifted south into our path.

BBC: The 'big melt' at the roof of the world

The strong numbers are a testament to a great product on the ice, a growing fan base that loves our game, and a strategy that provided a path for corporate America to reach that fan base.

FORBES: NHL Keeps Growing In Face of Uncertain Economy

Having dropped (back in 1990) a plan to build the world's biggest ice-breaker, the Canadians may also have to seek Russian help next time they need to carve out a path to the North Pole: even the patrol boats ordered up by Mr Harper this month won't match Russia's leviathans.

ECONOMIST: The Arctic