New England, West brace for snowy weekend
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聽faced a third straight weekend of storms dumping a messy mix of wet snow and freezing rain across the region, meteorologists said Saturday.
Another storm in the West is rolling out of the Rocky Mountains this weekend and could create blizzard conditions in聽, according to a聽听补诲惫颈蝉辞谤测.
Much of the Midwest is already blanketed with snow. More than a foot of snow was reported in聽聽on Thursday, forcing airports to cancel hundreds of flights and leaving motorists stranded on highways.
Starting on Saturday, the聽聽coast - from northern聽听迟辞听聽- was expecting an extended mix of snow and rain, according to a聽聽advisory, while inland areas could see a significant accumulation of snow.
Wet snow and freezing rain were expected Saturday afternoon through Sunday evening in聽, northern Rhode Island and much of聽.
罢丑别听聽metropolitan area could see from 2 to 5 inches of snow, while parts of central Massachusets may get up to 12 inches, said聽听尘别迟别辞谤辞濒辞驳颈蝉迟听.
The heaviest snowfall was expected Saturday night through Sunday morning, with 1 to 2 inches per hour possible, the weather service said.
Despite the forecasts, some residents were taking it in stride, wondering what all the fuss was about.
"Look, it's winter, it's聽, it snows. Happens every time!" said聽, a software sales executive and lifelong New Englander from聽,听.
But others were not so sanguine.
听辞蹿听聽said he had cancelled dinner plans with relatives two weekends in a row because of bad weather and this time, he would just take his chances.
"We can't let Mother Nature impound us again," Meek said.
NStar Electric president,听, said the utility's emergency response plan had been well tested this winter.
The weather service said the storm may bring sleet and freezing rain to the Appalachians 补苍诲听聽states as well, with thunderstorms expected in the Southeast. It likely will dump rain from New York City 迟辞听, it said.
The storm barreled eastward for the weekend after pummeling the Midwest during the week. In聽听颁颈迟测,, Mayor聽聽said about 60 buses were stuck on snowbound streets on Friday, and even tow trucks were immobilized.
"It's still an ongoing process to get people off the roads," he told CNN.
厂狈翱奥驰听
聽bore the brunt of the bad weather on Thursday, with up to 15 inches of snow in some parts of the state, according to the聽.
A closed 200-mile stretch of Interstate 70 in聽聽was strewn with cars stuck in snow.
聽troops were dispatched in Humvees to look for stranded motorists along the interstate and other highways, said聽, a spokeswoman for聽聽emergency management services.
听骋辞惫别谤苍辞谤听聽补苍诲听听骋辞惫别谤苍辞谤 Sam Brownback declared states of emergency because of possible power outages and generally hazardous travel.
Drought-stricken farmers in the Great Plains, one of the world's largest wheat-growing areas, welcomed the moisture, although experts said even more rain or snow would be needed to ensure healthy crops.
Meanwhile, in the Southeast, a "rich supply of Gulf moisture" will drive heavy rainfall from the Florida Panhandle east to the聽聽on Saturday, the聽聽advisory said.
Additional reporting by Kevin Murphy, Ian Simpson, Kevin Gray, Steve Gorman and Chris Francescani; Editing by Vicki Allen and Gunna Dickson