Power Outages To Continue Into Friday Many residents of areas of the US and Canada hit by a severe winter storm will have to wait another day to have their power restored after fallen trees slowed progress. Utility companies have also warned of new outages as cold temperatures continue in Maine and Michigan. The storm swept across the US and parts of Canada over the weekend with ice piling up on power lines causing widespread outages. The ice covered shore of Lake Michigan in Chicago Tornadoes and powerful winds, as well as ice and flooding, came as millions of people were preparing to head home for Christmas. Tens of thousands of homes were still without power on Wednesday in Michigan. More than 500,000 were affected at the peak of the storm. Joggers run along the ice covered shore of Lake Michigan in Chicago Eight-year-old Shyann Decator spent the holiday with her family in a shelter after their Michigan home lost power in the storm. She hoped Santa could still find her at the shelter. "I'm thinking my mum just went to our house and put a note under the tree, so when he came there he took a few presents that he put down and came over here," she told CBS. Ice enrusted pine cones are seen in Earl Bales Park in Toronto In Maine, 60,000 people were still without power - down from more than 100,000 - with crews working around the clock to restore power. "I'd much rather be at home with my family and my kids," said electric line repairman Erik Collins. A fallen branch hangs on a powerline in Toronto Many trees are still coated with ice and officials have warned that strong gales could bring down even more branches - further hampering repairs. In Canada, utility officials said some residents would be without power until Saturday. A man walks past ice encrusted trees in Toronto's Earl Bales Park The storm is being blamed for at least 27 deaths.