(Reuters) – Almost a million houses and businesses were without power largely in the U.S. Northeast on Wednesday afternoon following extreme snow and ice storms in a single day, in step with native power companies. The hardest hit state was Pennsylvania with over 720,000 consumers out. Other affected states were Maryland, Arkansas, New Jersey, West Virginia, Kentucky, Delaware, New York and Ohio. (Reporting with the aid of Scott DiSavino; Enhancing with the aid of Rosalind Russell and Andre Grenon)