Figures from the US Federal Reserve show that US industrial production inched up 0.1% in February, grinding almost to a halt amid severe snow storms that crippled large parts of the East Coast.
The small rise in industrial output - after a 0.9% increase in January - was better than the no change figure most analysts had expected for February when blizzards pummelled large areas of the country.
'Production was likely held down somewhat by winter storms in the Northeast,' the central bank said.
It was the eighth consecutive rise in output in the sector that is leading the economic recovery from the worst recession in decades.
Manufacturing activity, however, dropped 0.2% in February after a 0.9% increase in the previous month. On a 12-month basis, output was up 1.7% from February 2009.
