Heavy snowstorm hits many parts of US

WASHINGTON: A heavy snowstorm on Sunday battered north-east coast of the US, including the capital, leaving some areas buried in about two feet of snow and hitting the travel links to the region. Washington National Airport just outside the capital closed down on Sunday after being hit by the region’s worst winter storm of the year.

 

The region’s first major storm this winter slammed the Northeast with a foot of snow by early Sunday and showed no signs of letting up, cancelling flights from Boston to Washington, DC, and knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes. The New York metro area and much of the Northeast were under a blizzard warning, with the National Weather Service predicting winds up to 50 mph could bring down trees and power lines. Heavy snow warnings were issued from eastern Kentucky to New England.

 

In Maryland, more than 70,000 customers were without power, according to Baltimore Gas & Electric Company’s Web site. Power was also out at hundreds of homes in New Jersey and Long Island.

 

Delta, Delta Shuttle and American Airlines had cancelled all flights at the airport until Monday, said Steve Coleman, spokesman for The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. More than 100 Sunday flights were cancelled at John F. Kennedy International airport, including all Delta flights, and several carriers cancelled most or all of their Sunday departing flights at Newark Liberty International. Delta said it cancelled its Sunday arrivals and departures at several other airports in the storm’s path, including those in Philadelphia; Boston; Baltimore; Newark; Providence, R.I.; Washington DC, and Hartford, Conn.

 

With the situation threatening to affect travel, clearing crews are working overtime to keep snow off the runways at airports. But the focus is on New York, and Boston where the blizzard has already taken its toll.