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December 19, 1995
Web posted at: 8:40 p.m. EST
NEW YORK (CNN) -- A winter storm is dumping snow and freezing rain from Missouri to Connecticut. While snow is the main problem in the New York area, freezing rain was knocking out power to thousands of people in regions such as Ohio, Illinois, Oklahoma, and Indiana.
The National Weather Service has issued a heavy snow warning for the entire New York City area, including northern New Jersey, southeastern New York, southern Connecticut, and Long Island. As much as a foot and a half of snow could fall before daybreak, when the storm is expected to taper off to flurries.
Just over an inch of snow had fallen in New York, and less than an inch had been recorded on Long Island and northwest of the city. The heaviest accumulations, just under two inches, had fallen in northern and central New Jersey, according to the National Weather Service.
Snow was expected to fall in the New York City area throughout Tuesday afternoon, with accumulations between 5 and 9 inches, and continue overnight with another 6 to 9 inches.
Airports have closed in St. Louis and Indianapolis. Runway closings are reported at Newark Airport in New Jersey and at Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia. Delays are reported at New York's Kennedy and LaGuardia airports as well as Cleveland.
At New Jersey's New International, more than 125 flights were canceled while others were delayed. "I'm just happy I left a day earlier than planned," said Rachel Theriault, whose flight circled Washington for two hours before finally landing at Newark, where her connecting flight was canceled.
The New York City Transit Authority was not reporting delays on city subways or buses, and the trains on the Long Island Railroad are running on or close to schedule.
The New York City Department of Sanitation salted streets throughout Tuesday morning and were expecting to dispatch up to 1,900 men and 1,300 snowplows as needed. The city has already spent $2 million on snow removal. "With one storm after another, our guys are getting tired already," said the head of the road department in Manchester, New Hampshire, Frank Thomas.
Freezing rain and accumulating ice were the source of many problems in Kansas, Illinois, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Virginia. Slippery roads shut down schools from Kansas to Connecticut. Indiana state employees were sent home early.
Western Maryland made the snow quota for an entire winter, with more than 13 inches Tuesday.
Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana were blasted with up to 10 inches of snow by noon Tuesday, with lesser amounts sifting through the Ohio Valley. That storm was expected to join up with a low developing off the Carolinas, forming a northeastern storm that could be the main cause of New York's 6 inches Wednesday.
The region from West Virginia and Maryland to Pennsylvania was expecting a foot to 18 inches of snow by Wednesday morning.
Lambert Airport at St. Louis and Hopkins International in Cleveland were closed intermittently throughout Tuesday due to ice, drifting snow, and poor visibility.
Snow and slush caused a traffic nightmare in Oklahoma's panhandle. But wheat farmers are happy: The precipitation will help their crops.
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