A man holds gestures on March 13, 2013 as he stands next to cars blocked by the snow in Brouay, near Caen, northern France. More than 68,000 homes were without electricity in France and hundreds of people were trapped in their cars after a winter storm hit with heavy snow, officials and weather services said on March 12. Twenty-six regions in northwest and northern France were put on orange alert because of heavy snowfalls, which Meteo France said were “remarkable for the season because of the expected quantity and length of time”. AFP PHOTO / CHARLY TRIBALLEAU