AP News, February 14th, 2007
Stinging sleet and snow coated windshields and streets early Wednesday as a winter blast roared out of the Midwest and swept into the Northeast as a Valentine's Day blizzard.
Most of upstate New York reported several inches of new snow on the ground Wednesday morning, with 10 inches reported alone in Owego, on the Pennsylvania line. Schools in Albany, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo were closed.
The snowstorm presented unique problems for florists trying to deliver Valentine's Day flowers. Delivery truck drivers had to contend with messy roads and then had to navigate snowbanks and slippery sidewalks on foot while carrying expensive arrangements.
The National Weather Service predicted accumulations between 8 and 30 inches for areas around New York, with some locales to receive as much as 3 feet. The storm system was blamed for at least one death in Ohio.
Flight delays and cancellations were announced at Albany International Airport. Temperatures were expected to rise above the teens in most areas, with high winds driving the wind-chill below zero.
Peter Van Kereun, spokesman for the state Department of Transportation, advised people to stay home if they didn't have to go out.
Connecticut officials closed Bradley International Airport and all 632 state plows were scraping down highways and putting down salt as sleet and freezing rain lashed the state. Up to a foot was expected.
The weather service issued a blizzard warning for Massachusetts' four westernmost counties early Wednesday, with snowfall rates that could exceed 2 inches per hour and wind gusts up to 40 mph.
In Ohio, the winter blast was blamed for the death of a 9-year-old girl struck by a falling tree limb and the State Highway patrol was investigating the death of a man who was driving a tractor-trailer when it ran off the road and into a ditch and hit a tree.
Sheriff's offices in several west, northwest and north central Ohio counties closed roads to all but emergency workers Wednesday morning, many extending bans that began Tuesday; anyone else caught driving could be arrested.
More than 52,000 Duke Energy customers remained without power early Wednesday in the Cincinnati area and FirstEnergy Corp. reported scattered outages in northern Ohio. Thousands also had been plunged in the dark Tuesday in central Ohio.
Schools across the state remained closed Wednesday for a second day, many exceeding the five days allowed for bad weather or other emergencies, meaning they'll be required to make up the days.
Classes also were canceled at several college campuses, including Ohio State, and Cleveland Municipal Court was closed Wednesday. In Columbus, supervisors were told they could allow nonessential employees to report to work two hours late.
In Illinois, up to nearly 16 inches of snow was recorded Tuesday in parts of Springfield and at least 12 inches in Champaign _ with winds gusting to 40 mph or higher.
"It's very dangerous, and drivers should not be out in these conditions unless you absolutely have to," said Mike Claffey of the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Two major airlines _ United and American _ canceled up to half their Wednesday morning flights at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.
Wendy Abrams, city aviation department spokeswoman, cautioned all travelers to expect delays and cancelations through Wednesday.
In Indiana, Purdue University officials canceled some classes, while most flights out of Indianapolis International Airport were canceled Wednesday. About 4,173 Duke Energy customers remained without power early Wednesday
The Indiana National Guard was opening armories in over a dozen northern Indiana communities for travelers seeking shelter. The 7.4 inches of snowfall Tuesday in Indianapolis set a record for the date.
Communities in northern Pennsylvania were expecting more than 12 inches of snow before the storm clears out Wednesday.
Pittsburgh got its first blast from the storm late Tuesday morning as about 2 1/2 inches of snow forced schools throughout the region to close. The Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium shut down, too, and officials there weren't planning to reopen until Thursday.
Crews around New Jersey on Tuesday salted roads and rail platforms in anticipation of the storm, which had already brought some freezing rain, sleet and snow to much of the state by early evening. Numerous school districts in the state canceled classes for Wednesday.
In Maine, more than a dozen flights were canceled at Portland International Jetport. Even before the first snowflake fell, the governor declared a state of emergency to ensure the smooth delivery of heating oil to homes and businesses.
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Associated Press reporters Rachel Hoag and Carrie Spencer Ghose in Columbus, Ohio, Tom Sheeran in Cleveland, Ramesh Santanam and Daniel Lovering in Pittsburgh.
