Monday, January 31, 2011

Storm Cancels Flights, May Set Chicago Record, Ices New York - Businessweek

"Feb. 1 (Bloomberg) -- A two-stage winter storm sweeping through the U.S. has caused more than 2,800 flights to be canceled today and threatens to break snow records in Chicago and coat New York City in ice.

New York may receive 3 to 5 inches (7.6 to 12.7 centimeters) of snow and an additional 0.3 inch of ice, according to Nelson Vaz, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Upton, New York. Chicago may get close to two feet of snow, which would break a 44-year-old snowfall record.

“It is going to be a two-stage storm and the strongest punch will be late Tuesday night into Wednesday,” Vaz said by telephone. “Anytime you are talking over a tenth of an inch to a quarter of an inch of ice, that can cause problems. It is going to be hazardous conditions.”

A blizzard warning stretched from Wisconsin to Oklahoma including Chicago yesterday, while winter storm warnings, watches and advisories covered the U.S. from Maine to New Mexico, according to the weather service. As of 11:30 p.m. East Coast time, 2,806 flights were canceled, according to FlightAware, a Houston-based firm that tracks flight data.

Storm Cancels Flights, May Set Chicago Record, Ices New York - Businessweek:

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