Too much snow by Claudia Sonea

Less than a week after an ice storm blamed for at least 38 deaths, mostly in traffic accidents, in the middle of the country, another winter storm hits the Northeast of US, affecting roads across the Great Lakes states and into New England. According to the National Weather Service, Michigan and Indiana all the way to Maine are in danger of winter storms; furthermore, because on parts of the Chicago area and Ann Arbor, Michigan, a foot of snow had fallen, the weather forecast showed that 18 inches were possible in northern New England and that there was a chance of 14 inches in parts of Michigan. The winter storm is already blamed for three deaths cut visibility and iced over highways with a wind-blown brew of snow and that is why Maine State Police Sgt. Andrew Donovan advised people to stay indoors, at least until it calms down a little bit and the visibility of less than 200 yards gets bigger. Every available plow truck has been sent at work in Vermont (10 inches) said Reggie Brown, highway department dispatcher in Montpelier. On Sunday, Illinois Department of Transportation spokesman Mike Claffey revealed that 1,000 trucks were out clearing snow. Everything was affected by the storm: hundreds of flights at airports in Chicago were canceled at airports in the Northeast, including in Portland, Maine; Buffalo, N.Y. and Manchester, N.H. (airports in Philadelphia, Boston and New York were less harmed); churches called off Sunday services, etc. Still, the New England Patriots vs. New York Jets game at Foxborough, Mass., was still attended by many fans that had to shovel the snow off their seats. Also, in Buffalo, Bills fans that rose early for a bus trip to Cleveland for a game against the Browns went on despite the hazardous driving conditions. Unstoppable were the Christmas shoppers too. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission reported 160,000 of their customers were left in darkness by the storm on Sunday. Duane Nichols, deputy director of the State Emergency Management Agency, confessed that the 14,900 Missouri homes and business remained without power Sunday morning represents a decrease from about 165,000 on Tuesday. It could be the end of the nightmare, but who knows. The winter is called and it is still at the beginning. Stay indoors and stock up, because you're going to need it.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071216/ap_on_re_us/winter_storm;_ylt=AhoaGWzSULhh2GWZ7t6GK.es0NUE

by Claudia Sonea for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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