inches), with coastal areas seeing even higher amounts. It will also feel cold, with temperatures in LA around seven degrees Celsius below average, struggling to reach 13C on Thursday.

Heavy snow is expected across the mountains in southern California and the southern Rockies, with at least 30cm (one foot) accumulating throughout the day.

Strong, gusty winds will accompany the snow and could bring down trees and cause power outages.

The same weather system will then move into the Four Corners region, bringing rain and snow to higher elevations. The Southern Plains will see the rain arrive during the coming weekend.

By the end of the weekend, New England and southeastern Canada will be in the firing line, with snow and gusty winds moving in from the Midwest.

As people return home following the1. Background
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Life expectancy is growing all over the world.^\[[@R1]\]^ During the last 20 years, the number of very old (≥80 years) people increased considerably all over the world but especially in the developed countries. In the next decades, aging of the population is predicted to further increase: globally, the number of persons aged 80 years or older is expected to more than triple by 2050 making the very old the fastest growing group of the worlds' population.^\[[@R1]\]^ The depicted development increases the demand of intensive care unit (ICU) treatments.^\[[@R2]\]^ Even though the group of the very old contributed to only 4% of the population in developed countries in 2010,^\[[@R1]\]^ they accounted for more than 10% of ICU admissions in the Western world.^\[[@R3]--[@R7]\]^ However, the costs for intensive care