Northeast U.S. battles monster storm Winter storm warnings lead to school closings and flight cancellations March 5, 2001
Web posted at: 12:16 PM EST (1716 GMT)
Summary: A major winter storm, which began Sunday and is expected to continue through Wednesday, dumped several inches of snow throughout the Northeast on Monday and set off a series of school and flight cancellations throughout the region. Forecasters expected the worst of the storm -- with the heaviest snows and highest tides -- to come on Monday night and Tuesday, with New York and New England being hit hardest. NEW YORK(CNN) -- Be prepared, Gov. George Pataki told New Yorkers on Monday morning -- a warning applicable to millions in several states as a slow-moving major winter storm advanced across the Northeast United States.
The storm, which began Sunday night and could continue through Wednesday, is expected to produce heavy snows, freezing rain and snarled traffic. It has already led to hundreds of cancellations -- including school and airplane flights -- as well as rushes to grocery and hardware stores to stock up on food and supplies.
 | ON THE NEWS | | | | |  | AUDIO |  New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani talks about the storm at a Monday news conference
1.7MB/1 min. 21 sec. AIFF or WAV sound | | | | | RESOURCES | | | | | | STORM WARNINGS | | | | |  | CNN WEBCAM | | | | | | WEATHER ONE-ON-ONE | | | | | | The leading edge of the storm, which brought thunderstorms dumping heavy rain over the Gulf States before gaining strength in the Middle Atlantic for an assault on the Northeast, pushed into the area Sunday night with several inches of snow in some areas.
But the worst, officials warned, is yet to come.
"Anticipate that we are going to get another storm," Pataki told CNN. "And it could be worse than the one that dropped the snow last night."
Mix with rain common, but worst expected Tuesday Updated forecasts suggested that the snow-sleet-rain mix will change to all snow come Monday afternoon in New York City. The Big Apple's forecast calls for 6 to 12 inches of snow over 48 hours.
"The storm is now mainly a Monday night to Tuesday event. The bulk of the heavy snow will be occurring then," National Weather Service meteorologist Ralph Izzo said.
In New York City, Mayor Rudy Giuliani said that the city was ready, with salt and sand trucks already at work on the streets.
"The thing to worry about the most would be the (evening) rush hour, and we'll keep monitoring to see if we'll need to use a staggered release time," the mayor said during an early-morning news conference. "Probably not a bad idea to prepare for that."
New York, Boston close schools New York, New Jersey and Connecticut were under a winter storm warning, and major airlines canceled flights as the storm bore down. CNN Meteorologist Chad Myers predicted the storm could last 48 hours, dumping several feet of snow in some areas.
 | | Bakery shelves were empty at a supermarket in Warwick, Rhode Island, on Sunday, as residents prepared for the storm
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In New Jersey, acting Gov. Donald DiFrancesco declared a state of emergency, as did Boston, Massachusetts, Mayor Tom Menino. Connecticut Gov. John Rowland asked all nonessential state employees to stay home and issued an executive order banning tractor trailers from state highways to avoid wrecks that in past storms have paralyzed highways and impeded cleanup efforts.
Widespread school cancellations were expected throughout the Northeast. New York City and Boston closed schools in advance of the storm on Monday.
Up to two feet of snow is possible from Pennsylvania into New England, but meteorologists moved their forecasts of heaviest anticipated snowfall inland.
Weather service meteorologist Anthony Gigi said accumulations were hard to predict. "In northwest New Jersey, they'll be counting in feet again," he said. "But if you don't love snow, I don't know what you're doing there."
Airline cancellations grow All major airlines with East Coast destinations were urging the public to check their Web sites or their toll-free numbers for flight cancellation information.
 | | Motorists navigate a slushy road in Doylestown, Pennsylvania
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On Sunday night, Delta Air Lines made the most dramatic move, deciding to cease operations throughout the Northeast beginning Monday morning.
A Delta spokesman said international flights flying into New York would probably be diverted to Atlanta, Georgia, or Cincinnati, Ohio.
"What the airlines are trying to do is prepare for the worst because it's always problematic to keep passengers stranded," the spokesman said. "Rather than having people sitting in airports around the country, they can cancel flights in advance to control the situation."
Continental Airlines and several other carriers canceled some late Sunday flights into regional airports. Continental canceled 78 flights into and out of the region for Monday. Spokeswoman Julie Gardner said airline officials would watch the weather closely and assess the situation Monday morning.
U.S. Airways spokesman John Bronson said some Sunday night flights into and out of La Guardia in New York were canceled. He said the airline would assess the weather situation this morning to decide if more cancellations were necessary.
Northwest Airlines spokeswoman Mary Beth Schubert said passengers who wanted to cancel their travel plans to or from certain cities in the Northeast on Monday could do so with no penalties through March 10.
The Associated Press & Reuters contributed to this report.
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RELATED SITES: National Warnings Area
National Weather Service
New York State Emergency Management Office
National Snow and Ice Data Center
Climate Prediction Center
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