Snow Day

Above: A man makes his way through the snow in Central Park in New York, February 22, 2008.
REUTERS/Keith Bedford (UNITED STATES)

An unexpected winter storm brought the heaviest snowfall of the season to New York City today, delaying area flights for hours and snarling road travel throughout the Northeast.

The city received as much as 8 inches (20 centimeters) of snow before it tapered off and changed to a mix of freezing rain and sleet around noon, the National Weather Service said. As little as 1 inch had been forecast. A winter storm warning remains in effect until just after midnight.

"So far this has been a relatively easy winter, but we have a long day and a long night ahead of us", New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at a press conference.

"The storm caused morning accidents and delays on Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania highways and created havoc for tractor-trailers throughout the New York City region", said Gene Michaels of Westwood One Inc.'s Metro Networks traffic service.

"By around 1 p.m., major roads in the New York City region were plowed and down to the asphalt", Metro Networks said.

Staten Island had the biggest snowfall in New York City, with 8 inches on the ground as of 10:25 a.m., according to the weather service. Central Park received 6.

Fairfield County received the heaviest amount in Connecticut, with 9 inches in Stratford. Bergen County got the most in New Jersey, with 7 inches in Franklin Lakes.

Stronger Than Expected

"A coastal low-pressure system moved in overnight, bringing a lot of moisture," said Dave Sage, a meteorologist with the weather service in Buffalo, New York. "It arrived a bit sooner and stronger than expected."

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com