Snow began falling in New York and may change to sleet and rain tonight, as a quick-moving storm makes its way from the Midwest through the U.S. Northeast and heads for New England.
New York may see as many as 5 inches (17 centimeters) of snow, especially in the northwestern part of the city and Long Island, before it turns to rain, which will hold down any accumulation, according to an advisory from the National Weather Service office in Upton, New York. Areas of northern New Jersey and the lower Hudson Valley may get 8 inches. Putnam and Orange counties in New York may receive 10 inches.
"Before it ends late Saturday night, it should change over to all rain," Joe Pollina, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said by telephone yesterday.
About 500 flights were canceled into and out of the three New York-area airports, according to FlightAware, a Houston-based airline tracking service.
Winter storm warnings, meaning severe conditions are imminent, were in place in parts of nine states from Indiana to Maine, according to the weather service. Winter weather advisories, which included warnings of icy roads and freezing rain, stretched from eastern Illinois to eastern West Virginia, the Maryland Panhandle and parts of northwestern Virginia.