Heavy snow and biting cold keep parts of the U.S. in deep freeze as the Thanksgiving weekend ends, affecting travel and daily activities.

The discoveries on Mirror Lake and Lake George spark concerns about the number of nutrients entering the lakes.

The beach at a state park in upstate New York has been closed because of a toxic algae bloom.

MOREAU - The Moreau Lake State Park swimming beach has been closed due to an algal bloom causing potential health hazards, a spokesman for the state Officer Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation said Wednesday. The beach was closed Tuesday afternoon as a precaution, said Dan Keefe, a spokesman for State Parks in Albany.

The state Department of Health announced Wednesday that a Saratoga County resident died in recent months after contracting a rare tick-borne illness known as Powassan Virus.