Snow buries parts of US Northeast, flights cancelled

A powerful winter storm responsible for wind, snow, tornadoes and a flurry of traffic accidents battered the US Northeast on Thursday, cancelling hundreds of airline flights but also reviving what had been a snowless ski season. The storm dumped a foot (30 cm) of snow on parts of the United States with the heaviest snow falling across northern New York and into New England, the National Weather Service reported.
"It feels lovely to have wonderful snow for the kids to play in, and I think it's the kind of snow that's good for making forts and snowmen," said Katryna Nields, a musician in Conway, Massachusetts, who was outside her home shovelling snow. "It's just the kind of snow you want for between Christmas and New Year's," she added. The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings for parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and New England and coastal flood advisories from New York's Long Island to southern Maine.
Airlines cancelled nearly 700 flights on Thursday after 1,500 US flights were cancelled on Wednesday, according to FlightAware.com, a website that tracks flights. Some flights into and out of the three major New York City area airports - Newark Liberty International, John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia - were delayed due to the weather, the Federal Aviation Administration reported. The weather service forecast 12 to 18 inches (30 to 46 cm) of snow for northern New England, accompanied by freezing rain and sleet, creating hazards on the highways and at airports.
The snow also brought renewed hope for winter recreation across upstate and western New York. About 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm) of snow fell on Buffalo overnight. Light snow and freezing drizzle persisted throughout the morning hours, with as much as another inch or two possible in some areas. Before Wednesday evening's snow, Buffalo was 23 inches (58 cm) below average for this time of year, the weather service said. "It's just a reminder, winter is here," said Tom Paone of the National Weather Service in Buffalo. Daniel Ivancic, of the Buffalo suburb of Tonawanda, said he bought a snowmobile last winter that has sat largely idle with snow totals well below average.
"I waited and waited and, no snow. This winter it seemed like the same thing was going to happen until the storm hit," Ivancic said. "I'm just going to take advantage of every minute of it." Retailers, still in the holiday shopping season, expected sales would continue with consumers looking for winter items. Police patrolling the New York State Thruway from Buffalo to Albany reported as many as 50 accidents, mostly involving cars that slipped off snowy roads overnight.