Snowed in 'Blizzard-like' storm buries East Coast; 5 inches falls locally

A blizzard-like storm rocked the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast on Saturday, crippling travel across the region and leaving hundreds of thousands of customers without power.

Five deaths appeared to have been caused by the storm system, which stretched from the Carolinas north to New England and also spread into some Midwestern states. The 14 inches of snow that fell at Reagan National Airport outside Washington was the most ever recorded for a single December day, while as much as 16 inches had fallen in Philadelphia.

Locally, Shamokin had about 4 inches as measured in the downtown Saturday evening. A weather spotter

for the National Weather Service (NWS) reported 5 inches for the city as of 8:30 p.m., meteorologist Craig Evanego said.

He said another inch or two was likely overnight.

"It seems that we are at the tail end of the storm," Evanego said. "There will be a breeze, so we could see some drifting, but nothing very hazardous."

A high of 30 is forecast for today.

In the mountainous area near Aristes in Conyngham Township, a higher elevation known for its larger snowfalls, it was about the same as Shamokin Saturday night, said Linda Tarlecki, who is the township secretary.

"We've got about 4 1/2 inches up here right now, but it's still coming down," she said about 9 p.m.

She said that's nothing compared to what her son reported from his home in Woodbridge, Va.

"I talked to him earlier and he looked out the window," Tarlecki said. "After a few choice words, he said it looked like he got about 30 inches."

2-feet plus

That is hardly an exaggeration.

The National Guard used Humvees to rescue stranded motorists in Virginia, and some 500 people had sought warmth and refuge in emergency shelters.

"The snow has not stopped falling, the storm isn't over, and folks should not think this is crying wolf," said Laura Southard, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

More than two feet of snow fell in some areas since Friday, and the nation's capital was under a blizzard warning. Public transportation nearly ground to a halt, but it wasn't enough to keep senators from staying in session to debate health care reform.

The slow-moving storm was headed to the Northeast, where forecasters said parts of Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachussetts could see more than 16 inches by tonight.

Forecasters expected the storm to drop as many as 10 inches on New York City.

Snowplows cleared the runway at Andrews Air Force Base in suburban Washington as President Barack Obama returned from climate talks in Copenhagen. The White House said Obama rode in a motorcade back to the White House, instead of taking his helicopter, because of the conditions.

Motorists rescued

In western Virginia, officials said several hundred motorists became stranded and had to be rescued by four-wheel-drive vehicles.

"Some folks have decided to stay in vehicles, others have been taken to shelters," said Virginia Department of Emergency Management spokesman Bob Spieldenner. "We're definitely trying to keep people off the roads."

Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said traffic was moving, though slowly. There were reports of jackknifed tractor-trailers and some semis on their sides. Troopers had responded to more than 4,000 traffic crashes and disabled vehicles.

One person in Virginia was killed in a traffic accident caused by slick roads, and authorities said the weather may have contributed to another traffic death. A third death is believed to have been caused by exposure. In Ohio, two people were killed in accidents on snow-covered roads hit by the same storm system.

Snow emergencies

Mayors in Washington and Philadelphia declared snow emergencies and forecasters said the conditions could worsen. Governors in Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky and Delaware declared states of emergency.

Most of the flights at Reagan National Airport and Dulles International Airport had been canceled, creating a ripple effect of delays across the country. The runways at Reagan were closed, with plans to reopen them at 6 a.m. today.

Snow, ice and freezing rain also hit western North Carolina on Friday, knocking out power to almost 60,000 customers around the Asheville area.

The storm came from the Gulf and drenched South Florida with rain starting late Thursday, leaving flooded homes and stranded drivers.

Snow routes

Kulpmont Mayor Robert Slaby reminded residents of the tougher penalties enacted in July for those parked along Route 61, which designated as a snow emergency route.

"Police will enforce it, and the fine is $100 if the vehicle is not moved and doubled if the fine is not paid within 48 hours," Slaby said Saturday night.

In addition, the borough has a long-standing ordinance in which the owner of a residence must establish a clear walkway at least two feet wide within 48 hours after snowfall has stopped.

Ashland Borough declared a snow emergency route from 2 to 6 a.m. today. Parking will be prohibited on Hoffman Boulevard from Brock Street to Centre Street, and also on Centre from Front Street to 23rd. Residents are asked to move their cars from these locations. Any vehicles that are not moved will be fined $50 and towed away at the owner's expense.

Sign up for Text Alerts

Sign up for e-mail newsletters