WASHINGTON, Jan 22 (AFP) - Hundreds of flights to and from the northeastern United States were canceled Saturday and road traffic slowed to a crawl as the first major snow storm of the year hit the region, forcing people to hunker down in expectation of better weather.
The situation, however, was only bound to get worse as an icy cold front moving in from the Great Lakes region was set to collide late in the day with a warmer and moist weather system moving in from the Atlantic.
The collision is expected to produce a ferocious blizzard that is forecast to bury a vast swath of the eastern seaboard under a blanket of snow.
Boston and other parts of New England were forecast to get up to half a meter (20 inches) of the white powder as northern New Jersey was bracing for about 46 centimeters (18 inches), according to the National Weather Service.
Northern Ohio was to end up with a 30-centimeter-thick (one-foot) blanket on the ground while Marylanders expected about 25 centimeters, or 10 inches, of snow.
"This really is a dangerous storm," warned New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, appearing at a press conference with emergency service officials. "I don't think you should take it lightly."
The storm has already resulted in the cancellation of more than 1,000 flights in and out of New York and Boston, Massachusetts, and about 375 at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, according to industry experts.
Philadelphia International Airport in Pennsylvania closed late Saturday because of poor visibility and was not expected to reopen until Sunday, officials said.
Significant delays as well as flight cancellations are being reported in New Jersey, Baltimore in Maryland, and Washington.
"It's a complete and utter mess," summed up Rally Caparas, an air travel expert with Travelocity.com, an online reservation service, appearing on CNN television.
Snow emergencies directing residents to remove their parked cars from major thoroughfares and opening shelters to the needy went into effect in every major coastal city -- from Boston to Washington as well as in northern parts of the country.
Philadelphia authorities urged neighbors, relatives and friends to check in on older friends and neighbors to make sure they have enough heat and food during the trying hours.
"We are prepared to make every effort to deliver uninterrupted city services while at the same time providing assistance to anyone in need," assured Philadelphia city government managing director Philip Goldsmith as dozens of plows hurried against the odds to shove fast accumulating snow from streets and highways.
New York officials have issued simultaneous blizzard and coastal flood warnings, pointing out that with an approaching full moon, astronomical high tides will combine with strong winds from the storm to produce "minor to moderate" flooding in coastal areas, especially during Sunday morning's high tide.
Baltimore Gas and Electric Company warned about possible power outage on Sunday, when snow was expected to combine with moisture and high wind.
Here in the capital, rare cars plodded along treacherous streets, skidding in slippery slush and having trouble moving uphill.
The city government threatened fines as high as 250 dollars plus towing expenses, if motorists failed to move their cars from key streets and roads that provide access to the most important government, health and commercial facilities.
More than 180 snow plows loaded with liquid de-icer and salt have been mobilized to work through the night to make sure the city is ready to handle Monday's rush hour.
But overwhelmed with the cleanup task at hand, the city public transportation authority was forced to curtail bus service, limiting it to only well-plowed major Washington avenues. Many of the area shopping malls were closed.
01/23/2005 00:47 GMT - AFP